New Kids I
by Dinolion92
Summary: AU. Kyle/OC and Bebe/OC! Collab with several writers! Arriving in a "quiet" mountain town, three teens have to deal with more then just high school drama. Weird occurrences and strange events soon follow, and the teens and their new friends are caught in the middle. It will take all they have to survive this, and potentially, find something more.. Don't like, don't read! Crossover!
1. Prologue

**South Park, Park County, Colorado**

 **Monday, September 3rd, 2018**

 **7:15 AM**

 **Slight Chance of Snow…**

 **Running out of ideas on what to say…**

It was cold.

That was the first thing Jack had really noticed about this place. Well, it was still in the high fifties, so not awful, but for someone from LA, that was kind of cold.

Especially if this was their first time actually setting foot here.

Yeah, he should have thought of that before he decided to buy that house here.

Jack was seventeen, and just starting his junior year of high school. The last year had been awful for him. His parents were killed in a car accident, and his greedy relatives tried to get him so they could get to his inheritance.

His father, Brian John Anderson had been a wealthy shipyard owner. His company was the biggest in the business in LA. When he died, he left a sizable fortune to Jack, and naturally, his relatives tried to get that. Jack hated the lot of them. They were all people who gossiped about his parents, hated his mother, and ignored him. Until he was their key to riches.

So he fought them in court, and not only won emancipation, but all of the money his parents had left him.

He had won the case in May; now he was here, ready to move into his new home.

Jack was always kind of bookish. He loved learning, and he wanted to continue his education, even though he didn't always agree with the education system…

That's why he was here. He pulled his somewhat average car into the nearest parking space, and after getting his backpack, he joined the other students heading to class for the first day of school…

A few people stared at him as he walked among the crowd.

"That's the new rich kid." A girl commented to one of her friends. "Kinda cute, but probably an asshole. Most rich kids are..."

"Except for Token. He's cool."

Jack continued walking into the hallway.

The interior of the High School was pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Busy, crowded, with some trash on the ground, and occasional graffiti.

It took a little while for him to find the Office, but when he did, he was a little relieved to see there was only a short line there. Only three people.

He got into line.

The boy in front of him, a somewhat short redhead with an orange jacket and a green ushanka on seemed bored, or at least, distracted.

"You good?" Jack asked.

The redhead was shaken from his thoughts, and looked at him.

"Yeah, I guess. Just thinking about all the other things I'd rather be doing..."

Jack chuckled. "This school is that bad?"

The redhead nodded, before replying sardonically.

"Definitely. Mostly because of this one fatass."

Jack cocked a brow.

"Is he way to much of an asshole or something?"

The redhead shook his head. "Way worse then that. You don't know selfish, bigoted, racist, nazi, and sadism until you've met Eric Cartman."

Jack blinked, before replying.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. He once fed this one kid chili made from his parents because of...well..."

Jack's eyes widened a little at that. Well that was...extreme…

"What did that kid do?"

"Tricked him into buying pubes."

Jack blinked. "This kid...tricked him into buying pubes?"

"Trust me, he was, and kind of still is, that stupid."

Jack nodded a little, kind of regretting his decision to move here.

"Um, I'm Jack by the way." Jack said, trying to change the subject.

"Kyle." The redhead introduced with a slight smile. He seemed to be happy that they had switched gears.

"Kyle Broflovski."

Kyle turned, and took his schedule, before he began to walk off. He waited a little, however, while Jack went to get his.

"Jack Anderson?" The counselor asked, before stopping.

"Wait...you're that new kid, right?"

Jack nodded.

"M'kay...well welcome to South Park. Have a good school year."

Jack took his schedule, and turned to meet Kyle.

"Wonderful..." Kyle commented. "I got history first period... "

Jack stopped. "With who?"

"Mr. Sanders." Kyle replied.

Jack nodded. "I got the same class. You know where room 201 is?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. I'll show you."

Jack proceeded to follow the redhead as the two began heading off to class.

"So...you hate history I'm guessing?" Jack asked.

"Not really. Just not that interesting the way Mr. Sanders supposedly teaches it. I've had good teachers who at least make it tolerable."

Jack shrugged. "I love history. But I understand why people find it boring..."

He stopped. "Wait, why did you take AP World then?"

Kyle stopped. "Dad's kind of a drill sergeant when it comes to school. He expects us to get all A's. He yelled at my little brother Ike when he got an A minus."

Jack blinked. "Why is he so caught up on that?"

"He wants us to go to Harvard or Yale or one of those Ivy League schools. He also wants me to be Valedictorian..."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah...because those are oh so superior? There isn't anything you can't learn on your own or through your own experiences."

Kyle laughed. "Tell that to my dad."

As they began to walk up the stairs, they saw someone leaning against the wall, not looking particularly happy to be here either. He was fairly tall; about 6' 2". He had dirty blond hair, light blue eyes, and also had fair colored skin. This kid also had a really muscular, fit build; like he did some kind of exercise daily. He had to be over 200 pounds in solid muscle.

"History.." The kid muttered with a sigh while looking at his schedule. "Well, could be worse.. I could've had math first hour.."

"Ugh...that's one thing I can't do." Jack commented. "Math is fucking awful."

The kid looked up and cocked a brow.

"Definitely.." He replied. "You new too? I heard some of the other kids talking about you."

"Let me guess? I'm probably a stereotypical asshole rich kid or something?"

Kyle cocked a brow, but didn't say anything.

The kid nodded.

"Pretty much.. High school can be a pain in the ass." He then smirked and added. "Luckily I just have a couple years to go. I turned 17 not too long ago, and can't _wait_ to get the hell outta here! Gonna try and get into MMA full time after I graduate. Maybe UFC if I'm lucky.."

"Good luck. I have no idea what I want to do after High School..." Kyle shrugged.

Jack nodded in understanding, but didn't say anything.

"So.." The kid began. "I assume you're the 'rich asshole' named Jack?" He joked with a slight smirk.

"Yes." Jack replied. "Some of the girls outside were also talking about you too..."

The kid cocked a brow.

"That so?" He then smirked once more. "What about?"

"Mostly about how hot you supposedly are..." Kyle interjected. "Normal, high school girl gossip..."

Still with a grin on his face, the kid shrugged and replied,

"Hey, can't complain about that.." A few seconds passed before the kid added. "Name's Drew by the way.."

"Kyle." Kyle introduced.

"Jack, nice to meet you Drew."

Jack shrugged. "As much as I love history, why does it have to be at 7:30 in the morning?"

"Because they love torturing us, I guess.." Drew laughed.

At that moment, a moderately tall boy walked around the corner, holding his books and other documents near his chest, but not in a casual way. It was as if he was hiding something. He approached the three timidly. He was obviously another new kid.

"H-Hello, there. Is this where I can find room 201?" he asked. He spoke with an English accent.

"Oh, a Brit, eh?" Drew said with an amused expression. "I gotta admit, this school is becoming more diverse by the minute.."

He extended his hand and introduced,

"Drew.."

The stranger rearranged his documents to hold them with one hand as he reached out to shake Drew's hand.

"Alex Pearson," he replied.

Jack cocked a brow, before grinning. He then bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty." He said in the most posh, stereotypical British accent he could muster.

Kyle began to laugh, though he tried to stop himself.

Alex sighed. "Yeah, I figured that would happen, sooner or later," he said.

"Just a joke man. Welcome." Jack said with a smile.

"Name's Jack." He added.

"Nice to meet you, Jack," Alex said.

"I'm Kyle." Kyle added. Alex nodded.

Jack looked at his watch. "Looks like we all have History at 7:30? We should probably head over."

"Yeah, we probably should.." Drew said while grabbing his textbook he'd been given earlier.

When they got there, they found there were only four spots available, though they were clustered on the far left of the room.

Mr. Sanders hadn't arrived yet, so the students were still talking. All except a blonde girl in a red shirt…

"Dudes.." Drew whispered while getting Jack, Alex, and Kyle's attention. "Check out that chick.." He pointed at her so that they could see who he was referring to.

"She's hot.." Drew added with a smirk.

Jack nodded. "She's definitely cute..."

Kyle cocked a brow. "Bloody pervs..."

"Please don't refer to women as 'chicks'," Alex whispered aggressively.

"Oh, don't be such an SJW.." Drew whispered in a teasing manner with his eyes rolled.

Jack grinned, and whispered to Kyle. "Money's on the Royal Exchange Student."

Kyle laughed again.

They sat down on the four seats. Fortunately, Drew's seat was close to the "blonde chick"...

The blonde girl looked back at him, to which he responded with a friendly grin. She immediately turned back around, leaving Drew with an expression of slight defeat.

"Dammit.." Drew muttered to himself.

"Denied." Kyle said under his breath.

"Oh shut it.." Drew said with his eyes rolled. He sighed and sarcastically added. "Well this day's off to a good start.."

Alex rolled his eyes at the attitude of his fellow students. He suddenly felt a twitch in his chest, but dismissed it.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened, with Mr. Sanders walking in.

"Okay, shut up.. Shut the fuck up!" He yelled as he took a swig out of a moonshine jug. Mr. Sanders was wearing a wifebeater with numerous stains on it, with some jorts and croc shoes. He also was balding, had a neckbeard, and had a _very_ noticeable beer gut.

Jack cocked a brow in slight shock, but said nothing. Alex grimaced at the state of Mr. Sanders. He had never had a teacher arrive in such a pathetic state to one of his classes in Britain.

' _Welcome to America'_ , he thought to himself, sarcastically.

"Okay, now yous is gonna open up your dumbass books to page.. page six or somethin' like that. Then you're gonna do the assignment. If you don't, you get an F! Okay, now leave me the fuck alone.. Let me get rid of this hangover with some more booze.." Mr. Sanders finished as he took another huge swig of moonshine.

Jack facepalmed. "No wonder this world's going down hill."

Jack sighed. He flipped through the pages, before paling. "What the fuck?" He said in surprise.

"The fuck you yammering on about, kid?" Mr. Sanders complained, holding his head as if he had a hangover headache.

"You gave us the wrong freaking textbook!" Jack commented. "This is Calculus!"

"Calculus, history.. Same damn thing ain't it?" Mr. Sanders shrugged.

Drew stifled a laugh. He wasn't even mad at any of this. Just really, really amused.. Probably that Southern mentality where anything involving drunk rednecks was funny.

Jack rolled his eyes, and said under his breath. "Dumbass..."

Mr. Sanders stood up out of his chair and asked,

"Da _fuck_ did you just call me?"

"I would repeat it, but I'm not sure you'd understand it." Jack replied.

"Okay, wise guy.." Mr. Sanders chuckled. "You think your rich, Californie ass can talk to me like that? Well guess what? You just earned yourself a trip to PC Principal's office!"

Jack stood up, and replied. "I'm surprised you were able to say that clearly. Maybe you're not as drunk as you look, or sound, or smell..."

He then began to walk off.

"See there, you brainless kids?" Mr. Sanders said. "Only retarded, faggot people come from Californie!"

Jack laughed. "I didn't know you were from there too then."

Alex chuckled under his breath.

Drew cupped his hands around his mouth to make his voice louder, and he said,

"Yo! So where's the _real_ teacher at? You can't be serious with this shit. Fuckin' Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force lookin' ass.."

Everyone in class laughed at that as Mr. Sanders grew more and more angry.

"Now listen here you pretty boy jock!" Mr. Sanders began, his face beginning to turn red. "You better shut the fuck up or-" He then paused.

"No, ya know what? You go to PC Principal's office too! Fuck off!"

Kyle looked at Alex, asking whether or not they should join this.

"Cool.." Drew replied with a forced smile on his face. This was to intentionally piss off Mr. Sanders. "Let's go, Jacky boy.. Before he blows another fucking gasket."

Jack stopped. "Considering how fat he is, I think more than a gasket will blow..."

The entire class once again burst out into laughter, only infuriating Mr. Sanders even further.

Kyle decided to speak, though he was usually a good student. "You might want to watch out for that battle you dropped on the ground. If you fall, it might cause an earthquake."

"Oh! Now the Jew's got jokes too! So fuckin' _funny_! PC Principal.." Mr. Sanders pointed towards the door.

Kyle got up to join Jack and Drew.

Alex was infuriated at Mr. Sanders' comment. He immediately stood up and spoke,

"How fuckin' dare you? You're sitting there, being a drunk-ass McGee, and you're failing to control your class, you're being anti-Semitic and on top of all of that, calling your students 'dumb' and 'retarded'. If anyone should go to the office, it's you, asshole!" Alex shouted and pointed firmly towards the teacher. He wasn't one to swear in school, but such was his anger, he couldn't help himself.

Mr. Sanders put his hand out in front of him.

"Now where da fuck did this British guy come from? Shouldn't you be back in your country? Y'know, back in London?" He pointed at the door and added. "In the meantime, you can pip-pip cheerio your way down to PC Principal's office!"

"Eugh, PC Principal office. Mate, you count the minutes you last here, when I report you for anti-Semitism with a bunch of witnesses," Alex mocked as he walked from his seat out to the door.

"Do you really think the school won't fire you for that, plus the prospect of being sued?" Jack added.

"Been teachin' here for 20 years, retarded Californie! I got seniority. So beat that, muthafucka!" Mr. Sanders replied with a smirk.

Jack cocked a brow. "Gladly."

With that, he began to walk off, but not before flipping Mr. Sanders off.

Drew looked at Mr. Sanders.

"Have yourself a fine day, sir.." Drew said with his forced smile that he only wore to piss Mr. Sanders off. As he walked out, he shot a grin and a nod at the blonde chick from earlier. She didn't respond, but instead only looked away again.

"What the fuck!.." Drew complained when he was outside of the classroom. "Tough luck.."

Jack sighed. "I thought she'd at least acknowledge you after _that_. Everyone else was laughing their asses off."

"Bebe's been kind of quiet lately…" Kyle shrugged. "I hope she's doing alright. Her breakup with Clyde went badly..."

Drew grinned slightly and commented,

"Bebe, huh? I like that name.." After a couple seconds, he cocked a brow and added. "Clyde? Who's that? What happened there?"

"Well, all I know is they were dating for a little while, then...she started to change. She broke it off, but has been kind of quiet for months now."

"That's unfortunate," Alex simply said. He itched his chest as he had another twitch. A twitch was normal, but not as many as he had in as little time.

"Hey, boys.." The school counselor, whose name was Mr. Mackey, said as he caught them in the hallway. "Did you just come from Mr. Sanders' class? M'kay.."

Jack nodded. "Yes. He said some things..."

"Did he call you retarded or a faggot? M'kay.." Mr. Mackey questioned, as if he knew.

"Not to mention the anti-Semitic attitude," Alex commented.

Drew chuckled and added,

"It was kinda funny.."

This earned him some glares.

"What? It was, though.." Drew defended.

Mr. Mackey sighed and replied,

"Look, just ignore that, children, M'kay.. Just come and chill in my office until the next class starts, M'kay?"

Jack sighed, before they walked into the office. Another kid was already there. He had a blue jacket and beanie on.

Jack sat down, as did Kyle. "I have to admit, I had low expectations for the teachers here, but not _that_ low."

"You have no idea..." Kyle sighed.

"Could it possibly get worse than that guy?" Alex asked.

"Oh look!" Drew exclaimed with an excited grin on his face. "PE is after my next class! What do you guys got?"

"I got math," Alex said. "One of my favourites, actually. Many people don't see the value in math," he added.

"Well, consider me one of those people.." Drew replied with a smirk. He turned to the others. "What do you got, Jack and Kyle?"

"I have English, then Bio." Jack sighed.

"I got PE at the same time as you, actually." Kyle added.

"Hell yeah!" Drew excitedly said. "PE buddies! That's what's up!" For some reason, he seemed _really_ excited for PE! If one had to guess, it was probably his favorite class of the day..

"Cool. I love basketball, actually. Kenny said I'm one of the best in the school."

"Same here." Drew replied. "The 90's Bulls have got to be my favorite team ever! No one's better than MJ! I'm actually pretty good at basketball, myself.." He paused before asking. "Who's Kenny? Friend of yours?"

"Yeah..." Kyle chuckled. "Though he's a little... I don't know how to explain it."

"Goddamn!" The kid in the blue jacket suddenly exclaimed. "Could you guys shut the fuck up over there? I'm trying to go to sleep over here!"

"Sleeping at school? What is this, kindergarten?" Alex asked quietly.

"Fuck you, British kid.." The kid replied while flipping Alex off. "Don't make me come over there and kick _all_ of your asses!"

"Okay…" Alex said in a strange voice.

Drew could only shake his head.

If only he knew..

Jack shrugged. "Guys want to hang out later?"

"Well, I ain't training MMA at the gym today.." Drew said with a shrug. "Alright.. It's been awhile since I've done something like this."

"Sure. I haven't any plans-" Alex was cut off by a pain in his chest, and then he grasped his wrist.

"You okay?" Kyle asked, showing concern for Alex.

"Yeah, I'm… " Alex began, but groaned in pain. He jumped up from his seat, rushing for his bag, but collapsed in pain. He writhed around, making sounds that were uncomfortable to listen to.

"Son of a Christ.." Drew muttered, standing to his feet now. "What the fuck is wrong with him?"

Alex fought through the jagged movements and pointed to his bag.

"He wants something from his rucksack," Jack said as he rushed to open it.

"B-black…. Drink!" Alex stuttered.

Kyle rushed to the backpack, and pulled out a black vial, and handed it to Alex. He struggled to move his hand to his mouth, but sure enough, he swallowed the black-coloured liquid inside the vial. Soon enough, he stopped writhing around on the floor.

"Sorry about that…" Alex laughed.

"You alright?" Kyle asked, not finding that funny at all.

"Yeah… it's the device that keeps my heart from stopping. It has a palladium core, and it can sometimes get into my bloodstream," Alex said as he lifted his shirt to reveal a circular device with a light in the middle that took up a portion of his chest.

"Woah..." Jack commented.

"That's some Iron Man type shit." Drew joked with a chuckle.

"Yeah… I've had a problem with my heart since I was very young, and so I had this experimental device installed in my chest. It's sort of an OP pacemaker," Alex said.

Kyle nodded in understanding.

"Alright, PC Principal will see you now, m'kay." Mr. Mackey finally said, walking back from the back of the office.

Jack sighed, and the four of them headed into the office.

When they got there, the principal didn't look too impressed.

"Alright," he said, narrowing his eyes a bit. "What happened? If it was any kind of intolerant or hateful or micro-aggressive comments, then I have to warn you to watch your microaggressions, or you're going to detention!"

Jack didn't respond, he just smiled a little over sincerely and nodded, though the others could kind of tell he was _not_ paying much attention.

Drew cocked a brow, and smirked slightly at the same time.

"What the hell is a 'microaggression'?" He asked, knowing it to be a pretty ridiculous term.

"A microaggression is any comment or action that knowingly and deliberately harrasses, excludes, and belittles any non-white male person and removes them of their dignity and-"

Jack rolled his eyes at that. He just couldn't stop himself.

"So what Mr. Sanders said?" He asked.

PC Principal slammed his fist on the table, as if agitated, not at the students, but at something else.

"That guy is _full_ of microaggressions! I wish I could _fire_ him and add someone with more tolerance of other beings and their lives!" He sighed. "But, he has like… _seniority_.. So there's nothing I can do.. The white male dominated school board would be all over my ass and would most likely fight the decision.." PC Principal merely shrugged, before falling silent.

Jack cocked a brow. "What if someone threatened to sue the school if he wasn't removed, and we got a _real_ teacher instead?"

"He's been here 20 years and it hasn't happened yet.. He's supposed to retire after this school year anyways, so as hard as it is for me to say, we'll probably just have to wait this one out, children.."

Jack leaned back, as if in thought.

"Surely there's _something_ you can do?" Alex asked.

PC Principal shook his head. "No. He has seniority, despite his bigoted and prejudiced ways..."

Jack looked to Drew, before getting an idea.

"What if we sued him specifically, and went _around_ the board? I have a good lawyer, she can _definitely_ find something to get him fired..."

Drew waved his hands in dismissal.

"No way, man.. I ain't about getting involved with lawsuits and shit. I've been to court quite a few times, and that shit stresses me the fuck out! Every time.."

Jack shrugged. "Alright..."

After leaving PC Principal's office, the group headed into the hallway. Alex went to get something real quick, leaving just Kyle, Drew, and Jack.

"Leave me _alone_ Clyde!" They all jumped when someone yelled that.

They both looked to see that it was Bebe, the 'blonde chick' from earlier. She appeared to be cornered against her locker by this guy with brown hair. He looked about 6 feet tall. This 'Clyde' guy wasn't touching her or anything, but he was standing _way_ closer than he should've been.

Jack stopped, and growled. "Dude, leave her alone!" He said harshly.

Clyde turned around, and smirked dismissively. "Oh, whatcha gonna do about it rich kid? You gonna sue me?"

Jack responded by clenching his fists, and took a step forward. "No, I'll just break your nose."

Clyde laughed. "Oh really? I'm _shaking_. Just get out of here, me and this _lovely_ lady were just having a little chat." He sent her a wink at that, while grinning seductively.

"He's a goddamn psychopath!" Bebe screamed. "Stop him!"

Jack looked at her for a moment, before walking up to Clyde, and throwing a punch.

The hook connected right with Clyde's nose, and he reeled back in surprise. Jack got between him and Bebe.

"You _fucked up_ now, rich boy!" Clyde yelled. He unleashed a flurry of punches, most of which Jack dodged. However, the last few he threw managed to connect with Jack's chin, which rocked him a bit.

Jack stumbled back, but responded by lunging forward. However, as he got ready to deliver a punch, he pulled back surprisingly, and as Clyde ducked to avoid what he expected to be a punch, Jack kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Jack turned to Bebe, but before he could say anything, Clyde roared in anger and tackled Jack to the ground. He began wailing on Jack, unleashing punch after punch to his face.

Jack threw up a punch of his own, but it wasn't enough to knock Clyde off of him. Just then, he was roughly shoved off of Jack by Drew, who now stood protectively in front of Bebe, his expression containing a scowl.

"I'm gonna warn you _just_ this once.." Drew coldly declared. "Get the fuck out of here, and leave her alone! Or you're gonna regret it!"

Clyde's expression hardened, and he leapt at Drew, sending three punches in his direction. Drew dodged every single one with trivial ease, before sending a counter straight left into Clyde's chin, rocking him slightly. It hit him surprisingly hard.

Drew assumed a southpaw fighting stance and stood at the ready.

"Last chance.." Drew warned. "Beat it, motherfucker!"

Clyde growled. "Or what, asshole?"

"Or I'm gonna knock your punk ass out! That's what!"

Clyde clenched his teeth, but instead of running at Drew, he stood at the ready. It seemed he had learned his lesson about just charging in.

Jack got up, and joined Drew. This caused Clyde to hesitate for a moment. Should he _really_ risk fighting two opponents at once?

That was all Drew needed.

With Clyde distracted, he sent an _insanely_ fast spinning heel kick directly into Clyde's chin. It made a loud _smack_ sound that echoed throughout the hallway.

Clyde immediately fell limp, crashing hard to the ground, completely stiff and out cold.

Jack chuckled. "Nice one!" However, his expression fell soon after.

Drew looked at him in confusion, wondering what it was.

Jack then remembered. He turned to Bebe, who was still awestruck by what she had just witnessed. She looked at Drew with her eyes widened and mouth agape.

Not really thinking about whether or not a joke was appropriate, Drew made one anyway,

" _Now_ do ya notice me?" He finished with a laugh.

Bebe merely giggled slightly.

"That was amazing.. I-" Bebe sighed. "Thank you for sticking up for me.. _Both_ of you.. Clyde and I, we.. it's not really a good story." She then remembered what Drew's joke meant and she added,

"I'm just _really_ shy, by the way.. I saw you looking at me and I got too nervous. I wasn't trying to ignore you.."

Drew shrugged.

"Hey, don't worry about it.." Drew replied. "All that matters is that this is _over_.. If he tries pulling that shit again, just let me know."

Bebe nodded with a gracious grin.

"Thank you.. I will." She said.

"He didn't hurt you, right Bebe?" Kyle asked in concern.

Bebe looked to Kyle and shook her head.

"No.. But I wouldn't put it past him. He went _crazy_ after the breakup.."

"Sorry to hear that." Jack said. "We'll make sure that asshole doesn't pull anything, well, Drew will at least." He sighed. "As you no doubt saw, I'm not that good of a fighter..."

Drew caught on to the negativity straight away and optimistically replied,

"Well, you could always _learn_ how to fight.."

"Would you mind teaching me, then?" Jack chuckled. "You kicked his ass like it was nothing!"

"It _was_ nothing." Drew chuckled, before getting serious again. "I've been training in many different martial arts and fighting styles since I was _five_! I started out in a small ass junior karate class, and since then, you couldn't _stop_ my interest from growing."

There was a pause, before he continued,

"It went from karate, to taekwondo, to wrestling, to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to- Well hell, you _name_ it! I've delved into a bit of _everything_! I still to this _day_ learn something new every time I train.. I could definitely teach you some of what I know if you want me to."

Drew's face then got serious.

"But it takes _discipline_ , if you wish to _truly_ master the art.. You have to be 100% dedicated, otherwise it backfires."

Jack nodded determinedly.

Drew looked back to Bebe and noticed she had a textbook at her feet on the floor. He picked it up and read it aloud,

"'Algebra 2'.." Drew looked at her and asked,

"You have Algebra 2 next hour too, huh?"

Bebe nodded with her eyes rolled.

"Unfortunately.." She replied.

Drew handed it to her, to which she responded with a thankful nod.

"Well, so do I!" Drew said in mock excitement. "Hell, I can walk you to class.." He then paused, but quickly added something. " _If_ th- that's what you want, of course.. I mean, we don't _have_ t-"

"I'd like that.." Bebe said with a smile. This caught Drew off guard, but he merely smiled back.

As if on cue, the bell rang for the next transition period.

"Well," Drew began. "guess we'd better be going now."

Bebe smirked and said,

"I'd just like to point out that Clyde is _still_ unconscious.."

Drew shrugged.

"I promise he's not dead." He laughed.

Jack looked at Clyde for a second. "You sure about that? That was a pretty good punch..."

" _Kick_ , you mean?.." Drew corrected with a smirk.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever..."

Alex then walked back. "Hey guys, what did I..." He trailed off when he saw Clyde on the floor.

"Nevermind." He sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group met in the cafeteria that lunch. Kyle was joined by two other kids, who he introduced as Stan, and Kenny.

"So you guys are the ones who took down Clyde?" Stan asked with a grin. "He's one of the toughest kids in the school. Nice job."

"He _was_?" Drew questioned with a cocky laugh. He then realized it sounded a little pretentious, and he added. "I- I mean oh _yeah_ , hell yeah, man.. It was no problem. That guy was a dick."

"Ain't that the truth..." Kenny mused, though is voice was muffled by his hood.

"What do you guys usually do at lunch? Play foot- I mean, soccer?" Alex asked, remembering in time that what he knew as football was known as soccer in America.

Kyle grinned. "We do sometimes play basketball."

"Basketball's fun.." Drew added with a grin of his own. "I'm no MJ, but I still have a good time playing it!"

"I don't mind a game of basketball, but I cannot claim to be competent, unfortunately," Alex replied.

Jack looked at Drew, before grinning. "So, how was Algebra?"

Drew's reply was simple,

"Shit.." He then chuckled with a shrug and added, "What better way could you describe it? Definitely the worst class of the day.. That Mr. Garrison guy is pretty funny, though."

Jack nodded. "I bet. I have him after lunch. You guys still wanna meet up after school?"

"Totally." Drew replied with a nod.

"Sure. I'm currently living within walking distance of the school," Alex said.

Jack grinned. "Awesome."

After another few hours of hell, Jack, Alex, Drew, Kyle, and Stan all met at the front of the school. "Kenny had...something to do." Kyle said, hesitant to say precisely what though.

Jack cocked a brow, but didn't ask.

"Wonder what.." Drew said aloud.

Jack shrugged. "Well, maybe another time. Come on, I can drive us down there.

The group headed down there, before finally reaching a two story house that looked a little expensive…

"Here we are."

He drove up the driveway, and exited the car. It was a small driveway, and there was no visible garage. There was only space for one car…

Jack walked up to the door, and opened it. He grabbed some mail, and began looking through them. "Bills..." He muttered. "This will be fun to deal with later..."

"For sure.." Drew chuckled slightly. "I have a small apartment just a few blocks down. Still gotta pay _my_ rent for the month, too.."

Drew shrugged and finished,

"Too bad I'm poor.. It fucking sucks."

"I didn't expect you to be living on your own," Alex said, audibly surprised.

Jack cocked a brow. "I can help you, if you need it man."

Drew shook his head.

"Nah, don't worry about that, man.. I hate taking other people's money. It ain't mine, and it's my own problems to deal with, y'know?"

Drew then looked to Alex and added,

"Yeah, I just got emancipated not too long ago.. My mom died in a car accident a few months prior to today. All I had _left_ was my deadbeat father.. He has been _far_ from a true parent towards me! He abused me my whole childhood, kept cheating on my mom, and was an all around douchebag! That's part of the reason I started _training_ in mixed martial arts; so I could defend myself and those I cared about from assholes like _that_!"

Drew then sighed and shook his head.

"Look at me.." Drew said. "Telling my whole life story to people I only _just_ met today.. I'm sorry for rambling or for getting emotional. But hey, you wanted the truth, so you got it.."

"Bloody hell, man! Listening to your troubles, I'm kind of ashamed to have lived a life without knowing such misery and hurt. I'm glad you have remained on a righteous path, for others would use their pain and turn it into hatred and malice," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "Sorry to hear that, man."

He looked up, before finally saying. "I hope things get better."

"They won't.." Drew pessimistically stated, though he did force a slight grin. "But thanks.."

"The way I think of it is that you cannot have good times without bad. Nor is it wise to anticipate the next good moment without learning from the bad so you may appreciate the good," Alex piped up.

"What's with all the formality?" Kyle asked.

Alex shrugged. "Just the way I am, I guess. I like offering hope and inspiration to people," he said.

Stan nodded in agreement. "Good philosophy."

Jack grinned. "Anyone want any food? I can order a pizza or something?"


	2. Chapter 1, The Fight

Jack sat down on the bleachers. It had been a few days since he had arrived here. He honestly, liked it a bit. His friends were awesome! Drew was always fun to talk to, Alex was an all around nice guy, and Kyle…

Jack stopped. For some reason, he felt...different around Kyle.

Why?

He had no clue. It didn't really make sense…

"Hey, man.." The familiar voice of Drew spoke, snapping Jack about out of his thoughts. "You skipping lunch too?"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah….That shit they serve is disgusting..."

"I hear ya.." Drew nodded. Silence reigned for several seconds, before Drew added, "So, something on your mind? You sure are quiet."

Jack stopped. "It's fine. Just worried about a package that's coming soon. Very delicate. UPS will probably break it..."

Drew stared at Jack, as if assessing what he was saying. He didn't seem fully convinced, but let it go anyways.

"Alright.." Drew conceded.

Jack cocked a brow, and asked. "Anything new with you?"

"Oh," Drew began sarcastically with a shrug. "besides Clyde's parents threatening to have me arrested? Nothing much.."

Jack laughed. "I would get you a good lawyer then. I insist on that. You're a friend, and I stick by my friends."

"Appreciate it, brotha.." Drew gratefully replied with a nod. For a little while longer, the two just sat there in the cool breeze, in silence.

Jack leaned back. "I do have to admit, there... is a girl I kind of like."

Drew cocked a brow with a grin.

"Oh?" He asked. "I _knew_ there was more to this conversation.. Come on, what's her name?"

Jack looked at him. "I...don't remember, I saw her in class the other day, and she looked really cute..."

"Come on, man!" Drew said with intentional immaturity. "I need details! What class was she in? What'd she look like? I could _totally_ hook you up, man.."

Jack chuckled. "No. I want to be the one to ask her...It's just how I grew up. I got things done on my own. I refused to accept money from my parents beyond what I needed. I got a job and paid for a lot myself….I don't like relying on people unless I absolutely have to."

Drew nodded in understanding.

"Hey, I can respect that." He responded. "How you were raised impacts and affects the person you are for the _rest_ of your life.. Clearly your parents raised you well."

Jack nodded. "My great-grandfather, he told me stories all the time. He told me of his experiences in World War II. He fought at Kasserine, Sicily, Anzio, Normandy, the Bulge, and finally in Southern Germany. He told me one time how he was saved by a German nurse that was about to be captured, but kept working to save his life...They stayed together through the rest of the war, and got married after it...Weird story, I know, but a completely true one."

"No shit?" Drew cocked a brow, slightly in awe by the story. "What were the odds." He chuckled.

Jack chuckled. "They had my grandmother a year after the war ended. You know. It turns out that the nurse was a descendant of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. So in a way, I'm a descendant of royalty...And a relative of one of the greatest generals in history..."

"Wow.." Drew said while shaking his head. After a bit of silence, he added on, "I'm not too sure on my actual lineage.. Never really was told, nor have I taken any sort of DNA test.. Too fucking expensive, and times were _tough_ financial wise.. Still are.."

Jack nodded. "Remember, if things ever get to tough, you can stay at my place for a little while, until things get better. I would expect you to contribute, though."

"Won't be necessary." Drew assured. "If it gets that bad, I'll find a way.."

Jack nodded. He turned, and looked back out to the mountains. "I have to say, I really am liking this place so far. Hopefully we can all hang out again this weekend. I do have to say, thank god it's friday..."

Drew merely chuckled and responded,

"For sure.."

Before anything else could be said, they both heard someone yell,

"There he is!" They both looked over, and in the distance, saw the police chief of South Park, as well as PC Principal. He was pointing directly at Drew. They were with another man, but they couldn't get a good look at him yet.

"Fuck.." Drew cursed under his breath.

Jack got up slightly. "Oh great..."

Drew stood completely to his feet, and prepared for what was to come. When the three got closer, Drew finally got a look at the third man. That's when he gasped.

"Holy shit, dude.." Drew whispered to Jack. "Is that-"

"Drew King," The third man greeted. He was bald headed, had pretty fair skin, was a bit fat, and wore a suit. "UFC President, Dana White.." He extended his hand in greeting.

Drew, who had his mouth agape, took his hand and shook it. He was utterly speechless.

"Now listen here, _lawbreaker_!" The police chief yelled at Drew in an over dramatic tone. "We got a call down at the station that you were pickin' fights with some Clyde boy.. You-"

"Here," Dana White told the police chief, holding up a hundred dollar bill. "let me talk a minute. Give us some space.."

The chief immediately took it, making police siren noises with his mouth as he ran back to his police car. PC Principal heard what he thought was a microaggression by the outside basketball court, and tried to stop it.

"Hey!" PC Principal yelled, as he ran off.

With that, it was just Drew, Jack, and Dana White..

"Listen, kid.." Dana began with a chuckle. "You're in some _serious_ legal trouble.. Well, you _would've_ been, but I paid them off to keep them quiet."

Drew gasped slightly.

"Y- You _did_?" Drew questioned in shock. "But _why_?"

"There was video surveillance footage from cameras in the school hallway of your knockout. It was _impressive_! That other kid was a _big_ guy, and you flattened him with a perfectly placed spinning heel kick! For your weight class? What are you, _heavyweight_? That was _damn_ fast, kid! I like the way you fight! You show potential!"

Drew beamed a bit at that. The UFC's President said that he had _potential_!

Could this mean?...

"How'd you like a shot in the UFC?" Dana offered with a slight grin.

Drew froze in joyful shock. This was _actually_ happening! His lifelong _dream_ was finally becoming a reality!

Dana White pulled out a pen and a contract.

"All you need to do is sign this contract.. It's good for 3 fights. If you impress me enough, you're officially _in_.." He then shrugged. "I know the official minimum age is 18, but hell, rules are changing.. There's always some sort of loophole. You'll be _fine_."

Dana extended the pen and contract out to Drew, waiting for him to take it. Without another second to waste, Drew took the contract, and signed his name on the dotted line.

"Welcome to the UFC.." Dana White said, shaking his hand once more. "Now, I have _another_ offer for you.. How you feeling right now?"

Drew perked up slightly, curious as to what it could be.

"I feel as good as ever!" Drew confirmed. "Why's that?"

"Well," Dana began. "we have a UFC event being held _tonight_ in Denver. One of our heavyweights got injured and there's no one currently available around here that can take his place.. So with that said, would you wanna take his spot tonight?"

Drew immediately smiled wide and nodded his head.

"Fuck yeah!" He excitedly exclaimed.

Dana White grinned back.

"Great!" Dana said. "Just to warn you, though, your opponent is none other than Mark Hunt.. Pretty big fight for your debut! Sure you're up for it?"

Drew widened his eyes slightly.

"Mark Hunt?" Drew spoke aloud. "Geez.."

Drew had to admit, Mark Hunt would be a challenge! He had one punch knockout power, and he could end his very career fast! However, Drew took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"Let's do this.." Drew replied.

Dana White grinned, admiring Drew's enthusiasm and commitment.

"See you tonight, kid.. You may wanna head to Denver right after school. You still have to do last minute weigh ins. The fight starts at 10:00! Don't be late.."

With that, Dana White walked off, getting into his nice looking black car, and driving off.

Jack walked over. "I'm paying for front row tickets." He said simply.

Drew shook his head, shivering slightly.

"I still can't believe it.." Drew said. "Mark Hunt.. That dude is fucking terrifying.."

Jack nodded. "I saw him in one fight. I'm sure you can handle him, though..."

Drew nodded in return, taking a deep breath.

"You're right.. Probably just first fight shudders.. I'll be okay. Just a lot at stake, that's all."

Jack nodded. "Sometimes you have to fight for what you want, or _need_."

Drew absorbed Jack's advice, and grinned confidently.

"I'm glad you're here to help me out.. I'll definitely keep that in mind!" He then chuckled. "How the hell am I supposed to go to class after _that_?"

Jack laughed. "Want my advice?"

Drew cocked a brow.

"What's that?"

"Don't." Jack said simply. "I'll bribe the school or something, and get everyone out of class so we can get you ready. Fuck next class, I always hated math anyway."

Drew smirked.

"I like your style! Hell, I hope you _all_ can make it to the fight! Kyle, Alex, Bebe, hell, even Clyde just to see the look on his face! It's gonna be a night to remember.."

Jack nodded. "And after that, maybe we can all go to dinner or something? A place of your choice. Up to you."

"Can't go wrong with steak.." Drew shrugged.

Jack nodded. "We could all use a nice night. Let's meet the others."

Drew nodded, and as if on cue, the bell rang, meaning that lunch was over.

A few minutes later, the group had assembled, and were just waiting for Jack to walk out.

"I can't wait, to be honest. It'll be awesome!" Stan laughed.

Kyle nodded in agreement. "Definitely. Great job Drew!"

Drew sheepishly grinned, and replied,

"Thanks, guys.. Can you believe I'll be on live TV!? Fighting against one of the most _dangerous_ heavyweight fighters of all time? That's insane.."

Kenny nodded. "Eh, if you die. So what? Your friends will just say "Oh my god! They killed Drew!" and you'll come back. Trust me, it's happened _many_ times."

Drew cocked a brow but smirked slightly.

"How much bath salts are you _on_ , Kenny?" He laughed, wondering where he got that from.

Kenny laughed. "Say it guys."

Stan grinned. "Oh my god! They killed Kenny!"

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "You bastards!"

They sounded like six years younger saying that, for some reason…

The group all just had to share a laugh at that. This is what they lived for; just spending time like this together, no matter how small it seemed to anyone else. It was truly one of life's greatest assets to each of them.

Jack finally walked out. "Let's go." He said with a grin.

The group smiled and walked towards the parking lot, preparing to leave.

"How far's Denver from here?" Drew questioned to anyone who might know.

"About two hours." Kenny replied.

"Okay.." Drew nodded. "So that'll give me a few hours of training time and possible weight cutting if I need it.. I think we'll be okay on time, thanks to our good old friend helping us out here with his money!" Drew chuckled slightly at his joke at the end, as did the group.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, I bet that's why you made friends with me."

When everyone made it to their respective vehicles, Drew asked,

"Okay, so what if me, Jack, and Kyle rode together, and Stan, Kenny, and Alex ride together? That way we can kinda split things up evenly and save a couple of us some gas."

"Alright." Jack said. "Come on, let's go."

As they entered the car, Kyle sat in the backseat, while Drew sat by Jack. As they got on the road headed towards Denver, they saw that Stan's car was right behind them.

Drew leaned back in the seat and decided to talk a little bit,

"You _sure_ you don't wanna tell me the lucky girl is that you have a crush on, Jack? I can help you out if you want, y'know.. Up to you."

Kyle cringed slightly, but immediately kept his mouth shut. It took every inch of willpower for Jack not to make it totally obvious.

"Um, no thank you." He replied quickly. "I...I'd rather do it myself."

"Alright.." Drew chuckled with a shrug. "If you insist, man."

Kyle cocked a brow, and through the mirror, he saw Jack's eyes lock with his for a second. Then he looked away. Kyle froze. He...had only ever told Stan and Kenny he was...gay. Girls just never really turned him on. And he had to admit, Jack was pretty attractive…

He felt a bit of hope. He had hoped that Stan would say yes, but in the years since Elementary, Stan had gotten a _lot_ closer with Wendy. It was obvious that…

But now, maybe he had a chance-

He was cut off when Drew asked,

"You know which building we gotta go to once we hit Denver, right?" Before Jack could reply, Drew told the name of the place anyways. "Basically it's that big arena building.. You can't miss it."

Jack chuckled. "You didn't even give me a chance to reply."

Drew shrugged.

"Just making perfectly sure, that's all." Drew laughed a bit in return as well.

As they pulled up, Drew headed off to meet Dana White, leaving Kyle and Jack alone.

Jack looked at Kyle for a second.

There was silence for a few seconds, before Jack said quickly. "I should...probably meet up with the others..."

With that, he was gone. Kyle watched him go. He felt his suspicions were confirmed, but his fear was also rising. What if it was something else?

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Jack took a deep breath. "Jesus...Way to blow your chances." He muttered.

He was currently near the Center, just pacing.

He kind of wanted to ask Kyle out for a while, but had no idea how he would respond. He was really cute, kind, and a good person in general. He knew he was bi at this point, He had known it for a while, to be honest.

He stopped, Maybe there could be a chance, or something…

He did see the look Kyle gave him when their eyes met on the way there, and then when he left.

But then again, that might just be confusion. Kyle never really showed any signs of being gay. He seemed like just an average kid at this point, albeit one with a very strong sense of morals.

That was one thing Jack liked. Kyle stood up for his beliefs. That was it. He never conceded unless given direct and empirical evidence.

Kyle was a good person. He really, genuinely was.

Kyle was curious. Jack had been acting like this for a little while now. He wanted to know why. He did have this bit of hope, but he also had a large amount of worry. He was _so_ lucky Stan had let him down gently three years earlier, and stood by him. Stan was a popular kid. He could have _easily_ ruined Kyle's reputation, and his relationship with his parents.

He had given up by this point. He was stuck in a small town, and honestly didn't see any real prospects…

Then Jack showed up, and they seemed to have developed not only a good friendship, but they both caught the signals.

He wondered, honestly...

Jack was a good person. He was the only one who took him seriously, really. Everyone else at school just viewed him as the "moral" influence and a bit of a nerd. No fun, really.

At least, not when it came to really bad stuff. He never did drugs, he never drank, he wasn't much of a party person. Still, he _loved_ playing video games with his friends. Hell, he did that at Jack's house as well, and Jack seemed to love his types of games.

They were close, but what kind of close?

Friends?

Or something else?

He didn't want to jeopardize his friendship on what he thought was a lost cause-

He stopped when he saw Jack pacing.

"Maybe if I ask him, and he rejects me, we could still be friends?" He asked quietly.

Kyle froze.

 _Him?!_

Did that mean?

"Jack?"

Jack stopped, and turned to Kyle.

"Uh...hey..." Jack said sheepishly.

Kyle responded nervously. "Who...are you talking about? I never thought..."

Jack looked at him, silent.

"Alright fine, you got me. I'm bi."

Kyle smiled slightly.

"Um...who is it you like? Could you describe him?"

Jack stopped and looked at him.

"Come on." Kyle encouraged. He wanted his suspicions confirmed.

Jack grinned. "Well, he's _really_ cute. He has curly red hair and emerald eyes. He's smart, funny, kind, and he _always_ stands by his beliefs."

Kyle widened his eyes, and his smile grew.

"I...have a crush too."

Jack looked at him.

"He has brown hair, blue eyes. I may have met him not long ago, but he's been nothing but nice to me."

Jack smiled.

"I'm gay. I've only ever told Stan and Kenny." Kyle finally said.

Jack cocked a brow. "You're the only person I ever told..." He said with a slight smile.

"I am worried about my crush though. I wonder why he'd choose to go for me, when there's all these other girls there..."

"Plus, it would probably be easier for him, because of the social stigma."

Jack looked at him. "Well, maybe he'd go for you because you're the one person there who he _knows_ will always do the right thing?"

Kyle looked at him, before grinning.

Jack chuckled, before he walked over. "We still have two hours before the fight. Maybe we could...go to dinner or something?"

Kyle stopped. Jack had said it to _him_ , not as if he was talking about someone else.

He had finally found a date, after so long…

Kyle grinned. "Sure."

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Alex, Stan, and Kenny were all standing among the crowd inside Pepsi Center. Most of the crowd consisted of reporters for Sports Outlets, extremely wealthy people, and the fighters' friends and family.

"Introducing next, 'The Mauler', Alexander Gustafsson!" Joe Rogan's hyped up voice shouted into the microphone. Joe Rogan was one of the UFC's best known commentators and analysts, as well as having an extremely popular podcast.

The light heavyweight elite striker from Sweden, Alexander Gustafsson walked out towards the scale, the crowd going wild.

The group didn't really pay much attention to the weigh ins too much, though they all had to admit, there were some _scary_ looking dudes walking up onto that scale!

"Think Drew's up next?" Kenny asked his two friends. Their response was a mere shrug.

"I hope he's announced soon. These howling heathens disgust me. If extraterrestrial life knew that we did this, they'd either destroy us out of pity, or stay away from our barbarism," Alex said rather grumpily, with his arms crossed.

"Now introducing the champion, Jon 'Bones' Jones!" Joe Rogan shouted, the crowd going even wilder. The 6' 4" undefeated champion stepped onto the scale, and faced off with the 6' 5" Swede. It would be their second fight, and was perhaps the most hyped fight of the night! And it wasn't even the main event!

"Fucking hell, dude.." Stan whispered to the group. "Those are some big ass dudes!"

"Shame they have nothing better to do," Alex commented.

Finally, the two fighters stepped off the stage, everyone anticipating the main event fighters.

"And now," Joe Rogan yelled, trying to hype the place up even more. "our main event of the evening ladies and gentlemen! Due to our heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez pulling out due to an injury, there will be a _special_ interim heavyweight title fight happening tonight!"

The crowd cheered at the sound of that, everyone whispering among each other who was taking the champion's place.

"Introducing first, he will be making his _professional_ debut here tonight! A _once_ in a lifetime opportunity here, folks! He stands at 6' 3", the brawler from Missouri, give it up for Drew King!"

As Drew walked onto the stage wearing his Reebok UFC shorts, there was a stinging silence. There were a few quiet claps from the audience, but no real cheers. Some actually looked rather _upset_ that they were giving such a big opportunity to a guy in his debut.

There were some notable boos as Drew stepped onto the scale. Drew didn't show it, but this made him all the more nervous. He was _clearly_ not the favorite, here..

"255 pounds!" Joe Rogan announced, trying to get the crowd to cheer. This only caused them to boo louder. Drew stepped off the scale, trying to ignore them the best he could.

Despite the drone of booing, Drew's friends remained undeterred in offering their support.

"Woo! Go Drew!" Stan shouted, earning glares from strangers.

"See something you like, asshole?" he said in response to this.

"This guy's fucking going _down_! He's just a retarded _kid_! He'll get knocked out in round 1!" The stranger shouted confidently.

"Ah, see now, those who have nothing to lose do not fear defeat. His opponent will want to avoid embarrassment, yet may even underestimate him," Alex replied.

"Shut it, you little git," the stranger responded, but nothing else was said.

"Introducing his opponent, the dangerous brawler and knockout artist from Australia, Mark Hunt!" Joe Rogan shouted.

This time, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. Mark Hunt stepped onto the stage and took the warm reception well. He saw it as surprising, considering he was the foreigner, but then he took a look at Drew.

Mark Hunt smirked slightly, before stepping onto the scale.

"265 pounds!" Joe Rogan confirmed. The crowd cheered once more as Mark Hunt beat his chest, as if pumped and ready to go.

Even though Mark Hunt was only 5' 10", Drew still felt shivers run down his spine as he stood in front of him. As the cameras clicked, Drew reflected and noted just what his opponent would be able to do. He was _dangerous_ , and that was a fact!

Mark Hunt merely smirked and looked Drew confidently in the eye, before he whispered,

"You should've taken a lower ranked fighter, kid.. You're not ready. I'm _too_ good for you!"

With that, Mark Hunt separated and walked off the stage, followed by a hesitant Drew, who made his way back to his friends.

"There we go ladies and gentlemen!" Joe Rogan shouted. "See you in a couple hours!"

With that, the weigh ins were over, leaving Drew and his friends alone to talk for awhile.

"The crowd sure loves me, huh?.." Drew forced a chuckle, though it was laced with obvious nervousness.

"Knowledge is strength, Drew. They don't know what you can do. They are prejudiced, and you can prove them wrong. That Ozzie isn't some superhuman, all he can best you on is rank and experience, the fight isn't decided by the crowd, but by the fighters" Alex said, hoping to encourage Drew.

"Thanks.." Drew graciously replied, trying his best to smile. He then noticed that there were a couple missing.

"Where's Jack and Kyle?" Drew asked with slight disappointment. He was hoping that they'd be here.

Kenny and Stan cocked a brow at roughly the same time, and exchanged a glance.

"They're probably on their way. They might have gotten lost." Kenny shrugged. As if on cue, the two walked in, both looking a little happy. However, they both seemed nervous as well.

"There you are." Drew spoke aloud. "Where were you guys? You just missed the weigh ins.. Get stuck in traffic?"

Kyle shrugged. "Yeah. Unfortunately."

Drew merely nodded, dismissing it.

"It's okay. Traffic in this town isn't fun.." Drew said. He then began to walk towards the exit. "I'd better be training and getting warmed up. The fight starts in a matter of _hours_.."

Jack nodded.

"Best of luck, man. Sorry we're late."

"Thanks." Drew simply said. "I'll need it." He clearly still wasn't very confident at all, but he was trying his best to not show that.

The clock was ticking, and the event was only minutes away..

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As Jack had previously promised, he got everyone in the group front row seats just _feet_ away from the Octagon.

The entire night was _filled_ with action for the most part. There were several bloody knockouts, a few bone shattering submissions, and even a few decision wins.

The co main event had just ended, and Alexander Gustafsson had just _barely_ edged out a well fought split decision against the champion, Jon Jones. He was for the _first_ time crowned the _new_ light heavyweight champion!

And now, the main event was set to begin in just a few minutes.

"Holy shit, dude.." Stan chuckled. "Is anyone else feeling hyped right now? I know I am! Jesus _Christ_ , what a night! I may have to look into UFC a bit more, now."

Jack grinned. "Maybe. It _is_ really cool."

"It's definitely… an experience," Alex commented with an unimpressed face.

"Hey dudes!" The group heard a familiar voice say. They looked over and saw that it was a few other kids from school. There was Token, Butters, Stan's ex Wendy, and Bebe.

The voice had come from Butters, who appeared to be really excited as well.

"We _thought_ that was you guys down here." Token added. "We heard the news and thought we'd check it out. I paid for the tickets of just whoever wanted to come watch it. Only a few did.." Token shrugged. "But hey.."

Jack laughed. "You stole my idea."

Token returned the laugh and jokingly said,

"You're not the _only_ rich kid in South Park, y'know."

Jack chuckled. "I know..."

Stan and Wendy then all of a sudden locked eye contact, before they instantly looked away. Their breakup… wasn't the greatest. It was definitely pretty bad, but they pretty much have gotten over _most_ of it through time. Still, it was a bit awkward.

"Stan.." Wendy said aloud.

"W- Wendy.." Stan replied, still looking off to the side.

Before it could get anymore awkward, Kenny asked,

"What're you and Bebe doing here anyways, Wendy? You here for the fights or something else?" He joked at the end.

Wendy rolled her eyes, but Bebe stared off a bit nervously to the side.

"None of your business, Kenny." Wendy told him half jokingly. "Can't we just watch the main event?"

Kenny shrugged.

"Fine with me.." He muffled through his hoodie.

All of a sudden, the lights dimmed in the arena, followed by thunderous cheering from the fans. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Drew's theme song played for his entrance.

He picked 'Give It Away' by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and for a good reason, well two. One, he thought the Peppers were awesome! And two, he saw the song title as an ironic mocking to the people who booed and hated on him, since they thought Dana White was 'giving away' a title shot.

As expected, almost everyone in the crowd booed wildly as he walked down the narrow path to the Octagon. Some even went as far as to throw cups of beer at him. He didn't know why, but they just absolutely _hated_ him!

"The fans certainly not liking this one, Joe.." Jon Anik, the other commentator for the UFC said at the announcing table.

"Certainly not, Jon.." Joe Rogan replied. "I don't think we've seen anyone receive this much hate in the UFC since Colby Covington.."

This all continued until he reached the Octagon, where the officials patted him down to check for any illegal substances, before finally applying protective gel on his face for better protection from punches, as they did with every fighter.

Jack was annoyed by the fans' complete dismissal of Drew simply because he was new. It didn't make sense to him. People should at least be given a chance before being judged so harshly…

Alex, Kyle, Bebe, Stan, Kenny, and basically the entire group from South Park, all held similar reactions.

"Man they are just _not_ giving him a chance at all.." Kenny chuckled, but not because he thought it was funny. It was one of just plain shock of it all.

"Poor, Drew.." Bebe softly spoke. The thundering boos settled down slightly when Mark Hunt's song began to play.

It was replaced by cheers of love and excitement. As Mark Hunt walked towards the Octagon, his expression was one of confidence. He tapped the fans' hands, even some who had thrown things at Drew.

It was clear who Denver was going for..

Drew's expression turned from slight nervousness and upset, to a scowl of pure _rage_ and determination.

' _No! You know what? Dana signed me to the UFC for a reason! I'm gonna prove all these fuckers wrong!'_ Drew thought to himself.

After Mark Hunt was patted down, when he entered the cage and headed towards his corner, he roughly patted Drew's shoulder to antagonize him before the fight. This only _fueled_ Drew's anger!

"Oh! Mark Hunt showing quite a bit of confidence!" Joe Rogan spoke.

It was proving official now, because Bruce Buffer, the UFC's announcer, stepped into the center of the cage.

"Ladies and gentleman," Bruce Buffer began. "This _is_ , the _main_ event of the evening! _Live_ , from the Pepsi Center, in Denver, Colorado!"

The fans cheers once more, as it did the whole night, _thundered_ throughout the whole arena. Even Stan, Kenny, and Butters had to cheer with them.

"Iiiiiit's, _time_!" Bruce Buffer dragged it out, as he always did, to hype up the main event. "Five rounds, for the Interim UFC Heavyweight championship of the world!"

He spun around and began to introduce the fighters.

"Introducing first, _fighting_ out of the blue corner! He's a mixed martial artist, holding a professional record, of no wins and _no_ losses! He stands, 6' 3" tall, weighing in, at 255 pounds, _fighting_ out of St. Louis, Missouri! Making his professional debut here tonight, as a replacement for Cain Velasquez, _Drew_ King!"

The fans booed once more, but that was obviously expected..

"And now introducing his opponent," he then spun around to the other corner. " _Fighting_ , out of the red corner! He's a brawler, holding a professional record of, 13 wins, 12 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest! He stands 5' 10" tall, weighing in at 265 pounds. _Fighting_ , out of Sydney, Australia, _Mark_ Hunt!"

The fans chanted Mark Hunt's name, which only increased the Australian's confidence.

"And our referee in charge of the Octagon, Herb Dean.." Bruce Buffer finished, exiting the cage so the fight could finally begin.

There was no turning back now.. They were mere _seconds_ away..

"I'll try not to rough ya up too bad!" Mark Hunt taunted across the Octagon. Drew didn't say nothing, and tried to regain his composure.

"Jesus Christ, man.." Stan commented. "This is _insane_.."

Kyle nodded. "Seriously..."

"You ready?" Herb Dean asked Drew, who gave him a nod.

"Are you ready?" He asked Mark Hunt, though he already knew the answer. With that, the fight had officially begun.

"Here we go!" Joe Rogan spoke, doing what his previous commentator friend used to say.

Drew and Mark stood in the center of the cage with their fists up, just staring each other down for a few seconds.

When Drew finally felt comfortable enough to throw a punch, Mark immediately ducked down and caught him with a _massive_ right uppercut to his jaw.

"Ohhh!" Joe Rogan shouted in shock, as did the fans. They had expected a quick win, but not _this_ quick!

Drew was still conscious though, and the fight wasn't over yet! He was rocked _badly_ , though.. He stumbled backwards like a drunk man, with a bad cut on his face. Mark sent another punch into his chin, and down Drew fell.

However, he _wasn't_ unconscious even still! Drew was hanging in there! Growing a little annoyed, Mark went down for the ground and pound to finish the fight.

Mark dropped _bombs_ into Drew's face, which bloodied him up _massively_! But even still, he was still just barely hanging on.

"Never before in my _entire_ career here in the UFC have I _ever_ seen anyone take this many punches from Mark Hunt before, Jon.." Joe Rogan said, slightly amazed.

"You have that right, Joe. I'm _very_ surprised he's still hanging on! Most men would be out by now, but clearly this kid's tough.."

Drew managed to get to full guard and hold Mark Hunt's hands down. There wasn't quite enough room to lock in a submission, nor did he have the strength right now, so he would have to wait out the round..

After a grueling five minutes, the horn sounded, determining the end of the first round. Mark Hunt stood up with his hands raised confidently, knowing full well he had won the round. The fans cheered him on, as Drew wobbled over to his corner, sitting down on the stool and breathing heavily.

"He's getting _mauled_ out there, dudes.." Kenny spoke with slight concern.

Stan looked on nervously. He had never expected it to be this bad.

"Look at his _face_.." Bebe said, obviously concerned. They all looked to see his corner wiping the blood off his face with a wet, white towel. By the time they were done, it was almost _solid_ red! "They should _stop_ the fight."

Both Jack and Kyle were concerned. Obscured from view, Kyle squeezed Jack's hands nervously. Jack stopped for a second, before did the same.

They were horrified. Drew needed a comeback, or he would continue to get hurt!

As the second round was about to begin, as Drew stood up out of his stool, he looked into the crowd and saw his friends there. And to his shock, even a few _more_ than had originally come with him!

There was Token, Butters, Wendy, and…

 _Bebe_..

He gasped slightly. _Bebe_ was here!?

Drew saw the obvious look of concern on her face, and thought back to when Clyde was harassing her.. She had held that _same_ look of fear and hopelessness.. Only this time, instead of fear for herself, it appeared to be fear for _him_..!

Drew put on an expression of determination and stepped into his fighting stance. A newfound spark of _confidence_ had just been lit..

"Second round." Herb Dean said. "You ready?" He asked both men. With that, the second round had officially begun.

This time, rather than throwing the first punch himself, Drew waited for Mark. He would have to time this _just_ right..

To speed things up, noticing Mark wasn't gonna throw too much right away, Drew baited Mark Hunt with multiple leg kicks.

He could tell that this was pissing off the Australian, which was his plan! Finally, it seemed Mark Hunt had had _enough_ , and he threw a _powerful_ right overhand for the knockout!

Unfortunately for Mark though, it missed..

It only took that _one_ little mistake..

Drew sent a left hook from his dominant Southpaw stance into Mark Hunt's face, which completely dropped him to the ground.

The fans all gasped in shock and stood to their feet.

"Holy _shit_!" Joe Rogan yelled in absolute shock.

Were they about to see an _upset_!?

Drew immediately took the opportunity to get a top mount on Mark Hunt and began _raining_ punches and hammerfists down into the Aussie's face! Within seconds, his face had turned from clear to a crimson _red_!

When Mark Hunt stopped properly defending himself from the punches, Herb Dean had seen enough. He got in between Drew and Mark Hunt, calling the fight over.

The fans all gasped in shock, some even yelling.

"It's _over_! That's it!" Jon Anik yelled.

"Wow!" Joe Rogan added on. "What an _upset_!"

The whole arena exploded into an odd mixture of reactions: some cheered, loving the massive upset victory and how it was done, and the others booed and cursed Drew with all their being, mad at the result.

"He did it!" Butters said. "Drew won!"

"Holy shit!" Stan said with a laugh. Everyone in the arena was still in awe and shock at what had just happened. I mean, in an _instant_ , it was over!

Jack got up and began to clap.

Pretty soon, the whole group of friends followed suit. This even garnered the attention of some of the other fans in the arena.

Before long, there was a _huge_ round of applause going around for Drew's performance. This caused Drew to smile. He had proven his worth.

When he looked back to where Bebe was, he noticed that she was staring at him. Their eyes met, and all the two could do was smile at each other.

No matter what happened for the rest of the night, Drew was happy with what he had just done..

Drew saw Herb Dean checking on Mark Hunt, who was still lying on the ground. Drew walked over to Mark Hunt, and instead of mocking him, held out a hand to help him up.

Mark Hunt graciously accepted and they hugged it out when he got to his feet. This caused everyone in the arena to cheer once more.

"Hey, kid?" Mark Hunt began. "You got _major_ potential! Well done! Sorry for bein' a cocky arsehole earlier.. Just felt a bit like me old self."

Drew chuckled and replied,

"It's all good.. Hey, I'm a _huge_ fan of yours! You're one of my favorite heavyweight fighters!"

Mark Hunt nodded with a grin.

"Hey, I appreciate it, mate.." After a bit, Mark added, "Oh, and a piece of advice?"

Drew cocked a brow, wondering what it could be.

"I suggest getting a full camp next time.. Work on your head defense and distance managing.. With a full training camp, you could be a _monster_!"

Drew smiled with confidence.

"You think so?" Drew questioned. Mark could only nod.

"Most definitely! As for me, I think me career of fighting is over.. Me chin ain't what it used to be." Mark laughed at the end.

Drew could only grin with slight sadness. It was sad to see one of his favorite fighters go, but everyone had to eventually..

"But hey," Mark said. "if you ever want me to be in your corner and train your standup, I'll be around. It'd be an honour, mate.."

Drew, once again, beamed and smiled in excitement. _Mark Hunt_ in his training camp!? How cool was that!

All of a sudden, though, Herb Dean said,

"Come on guys.. Gotta do the official decision."

Drew and Mark nodded, knowing that they'd better talk later. Herb Dean grabbed both of their wrists and stood in the center of the Octagon.

Bruce Buffer entered the Octagon and began to speak,

"Ladies and gentlemen, referee Herb Dean has called a stop to this contest, at 1 minute and 47 seconds of round number two.. Declaring the winner, by _knockout_ , and… _new_ undisputed UFC Interim Heavyweight champion of the _world_ , Drew King!"

As Dana White wrapped the interim belt around Drew's waist, Herb Dean held up his arm in victory. Dana White shook Drew's hand and told him,

"Congratulations! That was a tough fight. I'm sure you'll be even better with a full camp! Nice job, kid!"

Drew nodded and thanked him graciously. Mark Hunt approached Drew again, and they too shook hands and the fans erupted in a mixture of cheers and boos.

' _Where's he at?..'_ Drew thought to himself, knowing what was coming.

Joe Rogan approached Drew with his microphone, confirming Drew's suspicions.

' _There he is..'_ Drew thought with a smirk.

"Drew King," Joe Rogan began, putting a hand on Drew's shoulder. "You just shocked the world! How do you feel right now?"

Joe held the mic up to Drew, and through slight chuckling replied,

"I feel _amazing_ , Joe! Umm.." He looked into the crowd, causing his newfound fans to cheer louder in support for him. "Hell, I just got signed today.. I had maybe, 9 or 10 hours notice? But anyways, I'm not gonna lie, it was a _tough_ fight! Mark Hunt's a warrior through and through, and he fought a good fight."

"Was there any at _any_ point in that first round that you thought you might've been done? Also, you came out with a _spark_ of confidence and a solid game plan coming into the second.. What caused that, considering your short time to prepare for this fight?"

Once again, he held the mic up to Drew. Drew took a bit of time to think of a reply, before once again looking over at Bebe, grinning happily.

"I pretty much just.. tried surviving the first round. I knew there was no recovering in my position, so I held him in a guard and kept him at bay for awhile.. As for the second round.." Drew paused before continuing. "Let's just say someone special gave me the mental boost I needed.."

Bebe smiled among the crowd, having a guess of who he might be talking about.

"I played it smart," Drew continued. "I baited him in, and I went for the counter punch.."

"Final question.." Joe Rogan said: "Obviously you are now the _Interim_ Heavyweight champion of the world. And the next title shot will be against the current _reigning_ champion, Cain Velasquez. Do you have _any_ other fights in mind right now before shooting for that goal? Or are you gonna wait for the champ to return from his injuries?"

With the mic held up, and the pressure on him, Drew replied,

"Francis Ngannou," The fans now _all_ burst into cheers over this one! "I know you're probably the most _powerful_ striker in the UFC! Fighting you will perhaps be my _ultimate_ test as far as strikers go! If you're game, let's make it happen!"

"You heard it here!" Joe Rogan said. "Thank you, sir. We look forward to seeing you in the Octagon again. Drew King, everybody!"

The crowd gave it's typical response of a mixture of cheers and boos. There was a few rounds of applause, before finally Drew exited the Octagon, and everyone began to leave.

Drew walked over to where his friends were, his face still cut up slightly from the fight.

"Hey, guys!" He greeted with a grin. "Didn't expect to see some newcomers show up."

Jack grinned. "Token stole my idea."

Token shrugged and replied with a chuckle,

"It's true." Token then shook Drew's hand and added, "Hey, man, I gotta level with you.. That was one _impressive_ ass fight! And you say they signed you only _9_ hours ago!?"

Drew chuckled.

"I think so.. It was during lunch. I was facing criminal charges for whooping Clyde's ass, but luckily Dana got me out of it! I can't thank him enough for the opportunity.."

"Ey man!" A random guy tapped Drew on the shoulder. He was with a large group of other random people. "You knocked Mark Hunt the fuck _out_ , man! Can I get ya autograph, man?"

"Yeah, I have a feeling you'll go on to be _huge_ in the UFC!" Another fan shouted.

"Can I get a picture!?" A girl, who looked about 20 years old asked him over all their voices.

Drew sighed, but couldn't help but smile.

He had officially made it to something he'd always dreamed of.. He was fighting in the UFC, and he had some fans to show for it!

Drew could already tell he was gonna be here awhile before he could finally get that steak..

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Alex wanted to depart from the crowd of converts who surrounded Drew. Alex disliked being in large, dense crowds. While he was from London, like any Londoner, he wished to have his privacy and personal space respected.

He walked over to a nearby food outlet which had since closed. However, as he tried to block out the noise made by the crowd that surrounded Drew, he swore he could hear a single pair of quiet voices behind the outlet. His curiosity lead him to see who on earth would hang around this place. Would they be doing something illicit such as dealing in drugs. However, when he saw who it was, he discovered that it was Jack and Kyle. They too had apparently decided to withdraw from the noise.

"You're _serious?!_ " Kyle asked, though it sounded like he was ecstatic, not angry.

"What, if we're dating now, I can't give my boyfriend gifts?" Jack asked with a grin.

' _Boyfriend?'_ Alex whispered undetected by Jack and Kyle..

" _Boyfriend_?" Alex heard a familiar voice say beside him even louder than he had thought.

"Woah!" Alex exclaimed in surprise, giving away their location. The voice had come from Kenny, who decided to slip away from the crowd as well. He had a hot dog with mustard in his hand that he had bought earlier.

Jack and Kyle both looked shocked.

"Uh..." Kyle began, unable to speak.

Kenny walked up to Kyle with an annoyed shrug and protectively muffled,

"Kyle, what the _fuck_ , dude.. When were you gonna tell me!?"

Kyle sighed. "I...didn't want to worry you guys...We just decided to start dating today, so it's not like we had much time to say much."

"Today? Oh, congratulations! I'm genuinely happy for you," Alex said with a pleasant smile.

Jack nodded in thanks, though he looked at Kenny nervously. "Look, I swear, I'll be good to him." He said seriously.

Kenny looked at Jack with what looked like a very serious expression. He stared him in the eye and asked,

"See this hotdog?" Kenny pointed at the hotdog.

Jack cocked a brow.

"Try anything funny with Kyle, and this hotdog is you." Kenny then tore the hotdog in half and threw it in a nearby trash can.

"Waste of a good hot dog," Alex lamented silently.

"Understand?" Kenny asked Jack seriously.

Jack nodded. "Yes. I do."

Kenny all of a sudden then burst out laughing and then put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I'm just fucking with you, dude.. I just wanted a reason to throw that hotdog away. Seriously, they must've undercooked it or _something_.." Kenny then looked at Jack and seriously finished. "No, but seriously, be good to Kyle, you hear? He's been my friend for many years. We go _way_ back.. I expect to hear good things."

Jack grinned. "I will."

Kyle cocked a brow. "Dude you're acting like an overprotective-" He stopped suddenly.

Jack noticed that, and looked at Kyle, concerned.

"You know _why_ I'm so protective of you, Kyle.." Kenny said with a sigh. "Me and Stan _both_.."

Kyle looked down, but didn't respond. Jack looked between them, before finally saying. "We should probably head home. It's late."

Kenny walked up to Jack and motioned for him to walk over to a nearby corner out of earshot. Once there, Kenny sighed and said,

"Listen, you're his boyfriend now, that's cool.. Prove to me and Stan that you're truly good to him.. Take Kyle home.. Go out and do something.. Hell, whatever he wants to do.. Just take his mind off of… _that_.."

Jack looked at Kenny. He was about to ask, but then stopped. Kyle would tell him in his own time. His job right now was to keep Kyle happy.

Jack stopped.

He walked over to Kyle, and said with a grin. "It's the weekend, anything you'd _really_ like to do? Anywhere you'd _love_ to go?"

Kyle looked at Jack a little, surprised, before he asked. "Well, I haven't been to Disneyland in a while, so maybe..."

Jack grinned. "How'd you like to go there for the weekend, and we can do whatever you want there?"

Kyle stopped. "Jack, are you sure? What about-"

"No, it's fine. You're worth it. Whatever you want."

Kyle stopped. "Thanks!" He said, brightening up..

Kenny could only smile. It was definitely a promising start for Jack.. Maybe he didn't have to be so worried after all.

"I've never been to a Disney Resort," Alex said quietly.

Jack cocked a brow. "You're missing out man, they're really fun."

He looked at Kenny and Alex, before saying. "We're near an airport anyway, want to just get a hotel and stay there for tonight before heading out tomorrow?" Jack asked.

Kyle looked at him for a minute, before nodding. "Sure. Thanks, um..."

Jack had to grin at that. "You're adorable when you're like that, you know that right?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, I am _not_ adorable!"

Jack was about to say something, but stopped.

"Guys, can you keep this to yourselves for now?" He asked.

Kyle nodded. "Well, except from Stan. He should know, but the others...it's not time yet."

"Yeah, nah, whatever you want," Alex added.

"You already know it, dude.. Your secret's safe with us.." Kenny said with a smile.

Kyle smiled. "Thanks."

He turned to Jack. "Well, want to see if there are any flights left?"

"Jack!? Kyle!?" They all heard the familiar voice of Drew calling out. He appeared to be looking for them.

They headed over to meet them, Kyle a bit nervous. "Hey Drew, um...so...we...kind of have something coming up. My...friends in LA, they want to meet up, and Kyle is going with me, so...we'll probably be back by Sunday..."

Drew cocked a brow in slight disappointment.

"You're not coming with me to get steak like we talked about?.." He asked.

"We are. We just meant after that." Kyle replied. "We have another two hours before the flight."

Drew nodded his head in understanding.

"Well, if we're gonna go, we should probably-"

"Is that the guy who knocked out Mark Hunt!?" A fan shouted as he entered the doorway.

"I think so!"

"Wow!"

Drew sighed slightly. They just didn't seem to end tonight! Not that it was completely a bad thing..

"You go on ahead.. I think I'll be here a bit longer.." Drew told them.

Jack nodded, and with that, they headed off.


	3. Chapter 2, Discovery

Jack, Kenny, Alex and Kyle walked towards the restaurant. Jack was obviously bothered by Kyle's silence earlier.

Alex was curious as to what untold secrets had contributed to Kyle's reaction. However, he sensed that it was deeply personal and decided against pursuing an answer.

Kenny merely sighed while looking towards the ground. He felt _really_ bad for Kyle.. He has never _truly_ ever been the same since… that night..

Kyle had always been nervous since then. He had recovered a _tiny_ bit since then, but Kenny and Stan _knew_ that the pain remained since then. It didn't help that Kyle still wanted to find love, but was too afraid to pursue it...

Perhaps a nice trip to Disneyland would take his mind off things.. Even if it was just for a bit..

After their dinner, Jack and Kyle headed off, leaving Alex and Kenny alone.

Kenny shook his head as he watched them leave.

"I'm still worried about him.." Kenny uttered aloud.

"I have faith that they will be there for each other when they need it most," Alex responded.

"Let's hope you're right.." Kenny sighed.

"Guys?" Stan asked, as he walked up. "So it's true?"

Kenny sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, it's true, man."

Stan took a deep breath, and looked out towards the disappearing car. "You don't think Jack will hurt him?"

"No, no! Of course not.." Kenny said. "Or at least.. I don't _think_ so.." He finished, still a little unsure.

"Jack wouldn't harm a fly. Well… probably because it's reflexes are far more advanced, but still!" Alex said.

Stan chuckled. "I know, it's just, ever since _it_ happened, he's been nervous. But he still wanted to find someone, but he was also worried he never would...I just hope Jack doesn't break his heart. It can't take any more pain..."

"The key to any good relationship is honesty; if one or both of them aren't content, they will let each other know. The longer a lie develops, the more pain it will cause the victim," Alex replied.

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Kyle shot out of bed.

He was covered in cold sweat. The images of that horrid night vivid, and the pain burning again…

He looked around frantically, before realizing where he was. Jack looked at him in shock and concern from the other bed.

The look on his face was one of absolute helplessness. He didn't know what had caused this, and he didn't know what to do…

The darkness of the room ate away at him. The same darkness from that night.

That was too much. Hot tears fell down his cheeks as he began to sob, cradling his head in his hands.

Suddenly, he felt someone wrap their arms around him. But this time, it wasn't rough or restraining. It was gentle and comforting. Kyle looked at Jack, his eyes red from the tears.

Jack looked at him with no judgement, and no questions. Their eyes locked for a second, and Kyle felt something begin to glow in him. Jack had accepted his request to sleep in different beds without protest earlier. That fact comforted him. Jack respected what he had wanted, and didn't ask a question. He didn't pry. He gave him his space.

And now, Kyle was leaning against him, their eyes locked.

Kyle saw in his eyes that Jack cared for him. That his concern was just making sure that he felt better, not _why_ this happened.

For the first time, he felt better.

That fact caused more tears to flow, while he leaned against Jack's chest, sniffling softly.

Jack wrapped an arm around him, and began slowly caress his back. "It's alright..." Jack said softly. Kyle closed his eyes, and listened to Jack's comforting words and his heartbeat.

He felt a slight shiver. The A/C just turned on.

Jack leaned back, and pulled the covers over them. The warmth, and Jack's arm around him increased Kyle's feelings of comfort. And his feeling of safety. Jack turned his head slightly, so their foreheads were touching.

"I'm sorry, Kyle." Jack finally said.

"What?" Kyle asked in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I've noticed that you were nervous since before dinner, and that maybe I shouldn't have taken you out here. Did...I ask you out too soon? If you're not ready-"

"No." Kyle interjected. "I...I'm not ready for anything like _that_ , but, this, right now is perfect. I feel safer here, with you."

Jack looked into those beautiful emerald eyes, and said softly. "I know Stan and Kenny are worried, and I respect your decision if you don't want to date yet. I won't make you do anything you don't absolutely want to."

Kyle snuggled up a little closer. "I do want to stay with you right now. And I am so happy to be able to spend a weekend here, with you. This...is kindness that I can't repay."

"Anything for you, babe."

Kyle felt a bit warmer at that, and asked softly. "Jack?"

"Yes?"

"If something like this happens again, and you're there, can you...just do this again? I don't care what's going on. I feel safe right now. In your arms."

Jack pulled him a bit closer. "Even if nothing is going on, could we still do this?"

Kyle smiled. "Of course."

For the first time in years, he felt better. Not like he had risen past it, but was starting to. It was the first step.

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Drew left the restaurant a bit after everyone else because, due to his newfound stardom, people just wouldn't leave him be for a bit..

He imagined the hype would die down a bit once enough time passed..

Or hell, maybe it wouldn't.

Regardless, once he finally managed to escape, he stepped out into the night, the bright lights of Denver illuminating the sky.

Before he figured out who would be his ride home, he heard a voice call,

"Drew!"

Drew sighed.

' _Oh no.. I hope it's not more fans.. I need a bit of time to myself!'_ Drew thought.

Those thoughts were soon put to rest when Drew saw Bebe approaching him with a sight grin. Drew grinned in return, happy to see someone he knew for a change.

Especially someone he saw as the most beautiful-

Drew widened his eyes.

He didn't just.. _think_ that, did he? Oh, who was he kidding! Of course he was! He'd already said it before, hadn't he?

"Me, Token, Butters, and Wendy are about to head back home.. Need a ride?"

Drew was about to accept, but he remembered that he had forgot to discuss details with Dana White about his pay..

How much _was he_ gonna be paid for that fight anyways!? Drew already knew you got paid more if you _win_ , instead of losing.. Not to mention the potential extra bonuses on top of that..

"I would, Bebe.." Drew said with a sheepish grin. "But I gotta head back to the Pepsi Center before Dana White leaves.. I forgot to discuss my pay details with him.."

"Oh.." Bebe said, looking to the side. "That's fine.."

There was silence, before she asked a few seconds later,

"So.. I guess I'll see you at school on Monday then?.."

Drew looked down slightly. He didn't like the vibe here.. He felt like he had to _say_ something! Like there was _something_ he wanted to say!

He knew _damn_ well what it was..

Drew looked at Bebe, who cocked a brow, awaiting a response.

' _Say something, dammit!'_ Drew thought.

"Uh, y- yeah.." Drew nervously replied. It was _blatantly_ obvious when he spoke..

Bebe giggled slightly and asked,

"Everything okay?"

"Y- Yeah.." Drew replied with a nervous chuckle. He didn't know why, but everytime she spoke.. Everytime he looked into her eyes.. He just felt butterflies in his stomach..

' _Now's your chance!'_ Drew thought once again.

"W- Well, actually, Bebe.." Drew finally got the nerve to speak up. Bebe cocked a brow once more with a slight grin, awaiting what he was gonna say. "I was thinking that maybe.. We can do something sometime? Tomorrow maybe?..."

Bebe smiled warmly.

"I'd love to.." She replied. "Glad you asked."

In that _one_ instant, Drew's confidence soared to new heights! He smiled and he said,

"Awesome! So, I guess I'll see you then?.."

Bebe merely pulled out a small piece of paper, grabbed his hand, and gave it to him.

"Call me.." Bebe simply said. To Drew's surprise, she gave him a peck on the cheek before she walked off.

Drew stood there with his eyes widened and his mouth agape.

Had that _really_ just happened!?

Sure enough, when he opened up the slip of paper, there was a phone number on it!

Drew chuckled a bit at that, pretty proud of himself, and happy that she had said yes.

"Wait 'till I tell everyone about this.." Drew muttered to himself with a happy smirk on his face.

He then snapped out of it, remembering he still had some business to settle..

In an instant, he made his way towards the Pepsi Center, which was a mere couple blocks away..

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Jack awoke the next morning to curly red hair inches from his face. He looked down a bit to see Kyle resting softly.

His current calm and content temperament only made the previous night's incident feel stranger. He had seen the look in Kyle's eyes. The primal fear. The terror. Whatever happened to have caused that, it must have been _awful_.

He needed to know. He needed to know so he could know how to help his boyfriend. It was obvious that there was a _lot_ more to Kyle's past then he thought. His great uncle had served in Vietnam, and described that same thing. PTSD.

Something _bad_ had happened to Kyle sometime in the past, and it had hurt him dearly. He didn't know what to do. He did the only thing he could. He comforted his boyfriend.

He held him like that for a good thirty minutes before the trembling stopped. Kyle fell asleep about an hour after the incident, a peaceful sleep.

Jack laid there for a good hour more. His mind was filled with questions and concerns. But most of all...determination. Before this, it seemed more casual. Kyle was a friend, and he was cute, and he was gay, so Jack finally got up the courage to ask.

But now…

He had made a commitment when he asked Kyle out. He would make _certain_ that he felt safe, protected, and loved. He wasn't a prick who used their date just for sex, or as a trophy. He had never really had a date before, but he _always_ felt that if you had a date, or a spouse, you should be loyal, supportive, and caring.

Kyle obviously needed that. Kenny's words were still with him.

He would make sure the redhead sleeping peacefully beside him was happy, safe, and loved.

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"Drew.." Dana White greeted with a slight grin as Drew stepped into his temporary office. "Come on in, take a seat.."

Drew did as suggested and sat down in a nearby chair across from Dana White.

"So, Champ, what's on your mind?" Dana asked with a grin.

Drew chuckled at Dana's joke.

"I was just wondering when I might be able to get paid, how it'll get to me, how _much_ exactly-"

"You can either come into my office after the event is over like you are now, _or_ you can fill out a form with the proper information and we can send a check in the mail.. Your call."

"I think I'll take one of those forms.." Drew replied. Dana nodded and opened a nearby drawer, pulling out a slip of paper and handing it to Drew.

"There you are.. Just mail it to our headquarters in LA.. We'll get ya sorted out." Dana ended with a smile.

"Thanks, Dana.." Drew said while shaking his hand, before he stood up to leave.

"Hold on, where ya going?" Dana White asked. Drew cocked a brow. There was more? "You want your fight money, don't ya?"

Drew chuckled slightly. How could he forget?

Dana White filled out a check and handed it to Drew, saying,

"There you go, Mr. King. $125,000 to you!"

Drew gasped evidently, saying in shock,

"One- One hundred and twenty five _thousand_ dollars!?"

Dana White nodded.

"Yep! $50,000 for fighting, $50,000 for _winning_ the fight, and a $25,000 _bonus_ for winning Fight Of The Night.."

"Holy fucking _shit_.." Drew uttered in shock.

"I know.." Dana chuckled. "A _lot_ , isn't it? Wouldn't _be_ this much except for the fact that you started out with such a huge fight! The risks were greater, and so more money was involved.."

Drew looked at his check, still in absolute shock. He just couldn't believe it!

"By the way," Dana White began. "you're now ranked #9 in the Heavyweight division and took Mark Hunt's place. You bumped Stefan Struve off the top 10. Congratulations!"

Drew had to smile at that. His _debut_ fight, and he was already number 1 in the top 10! Just think of where he'd be if he beat Francis! Hell, even _Cain_! Cain is the _champion_!

His popularity would surely _skyrocket_!

"Expect a response from Francis soon.." Dana White said. "The guy's an animal, and he usually accepts challenges pretty quickly! Probably by morning.."

Dana smirked and finished,

"If Francis accepts, we'll make it happen!"

Drew smiled at that. _Finally_ he was getting a fight with an actual _camp_! He would have to remember to contact Mark Hunt sometime soon.. Having him on his training camp would be _huge_ for his striking!

But it was getting late, and Drew was tired.. He thanked Dana White for everything and left the building.

Drew stared at his check once more, _eager_ to cash it in at the bank tomorrow!

 _Finally_ , he had made the big time!

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Kyle grinned as he and Jack entered the park. It was crowded, but he didn't really care. Jack had brought them front of the line passes. As they walked through mainstreet, they both had to smile a bit. It was pretty amazing. All the famous shops, the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey, that, if you looked at it from a certain angle, happened to look like the creator of Disney had a boner, and the castle.

"Where to first, babe?"

Kyle stopped. "Um...hmmm..." He thought for a moment.

Jack had to laugh after they got off of Matterhorn.

"That was absolutely adorable." Jack commented as they exited the ride.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "What? I wasn't expecting the Abominable Snowman to look like that! That must have cost a lot of money to renovate."

Jack nodded. On the ride, the sudden appearance of the yeti caused Kyle to jump and instinctively get closer to Jack.

Jack grinned at that.

He walked over, and stopped when he saw the picture.

"Oh, perfect timing too..."

Kyle looked at the picture. It was at that exact moment…

"You're _not_ showing that to the guys. Even Stan, Kenny and Alex." Kyle said, half-jokingly.

"Already texted them that picture we took at the entrance."

Kyle rolled his, and grinned, before he got saw several texts on his phone.

Alex texted 'You two are adorable! Hope you're having a good time.'

Kenny said 'Have fun guys! Can't wait to hear all about it!'

Stan said 'Looks like you guys are enjoying yourselves! Call us later, we all want to hear how it's going!'

After that, Kyle decided to take a picture of them on the Matterhorn.

Alex replied after a little bit, saying 'Haha! Looks like you're having a good time. Can't wait to hear about it.'

They spent the entire day in the park. The thrills of Space Mountain, the exhilaration of Star Tours, Pirates and Indiana Jones, the calmness of Jungle Cruise, the wonder of Toontown and Fantasyland.

Then they went over to California Adventure. Kyle stopped as Jack looked at one of the rides with a pensive expression. It was called "Soarin'".

"This...this ride was my grandmother's favorite." Jack said softly. "When I was in Seventh Grade, she passed away from Brain Cancer...Every time I go here, I _always_ go on this ride. But they're changing it, so it doesn't quite feel the same."

Kyle looked at Jack, before he put an arm around his shoulder, and leaned against him. "I'm sorry. But I bet she's watching over you right now..."

Jack looked at Kyle, before smiling. "She, and probably my entire family would have loved to meet you. I was always the nervous type, so they would have loved to see me with someone as amazing as you."

Kyle smiled at that.

"I would have loved to meet them as well..."

Jack nodded with a slight smile. "Would you want to go on the ride with me. I must warn you, I can get a bit emotional. It just means so much to me."

Kyle smiled.

"Of course."

The ride was incredible. But Kyle noticed Jack's sadness when they exited. As they sat down to lunch, Kyle noticed a tear starting to fall down Jack's face. He grabbed a napkin, and wiped it away.

Jack looked at him for a second, before he gently held onto Kyle's hand. That moment of contact was electrifying.

"You're beautiful. You know that right?" Jack said softly.

Kyle stopped.

"I'm...not-"

"To me, you are." Jack said simply.

Kyle opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't find the words. Instead, he could only believe what Jack said.

After they finished their lunch, they headed back to Disneyland, and enjoyed the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain(Kyle had to laugh at Jack's horrified expression at the drop. Apparently, he didn't do great with heights.)

Then, the fireworks began. That was the best part. They sat on a bench, watching the beautiful display. They leaned against each other, feeling incredibly content.

"It sucks that we have to leave tomorrow evening," Kyle said softly.

Jack looked at him. "Would you still like to spend the night on sunday?"

Kyle looked at him. "I would have to ask ma. But...I would like to. I think we should tell her though. To avoid suspicion."

Jack nodded. "I agree."

He stopped. "What if she says no, though?"

Kyle stopped. Jack had a look of fear on his face, and sadness.

"Let's...hope she doesn't. But if she does, I'll do my best to convince her."

Jack nodded. It was starting to get late, even later for them, being on Mountain Time.

"Alright..." Jack said softly.

As they headed out of the park, Jack stopped Kyle. But as he opened his mouth to speak, words couldn't come out.

"What is it?" Kyle asked. "You can tell me."

Jack looked away. "Promise you won't laugh?"

Kyle crossed his heart. "I...think I love you."

Those words sent shivers down Kyle's spine. The sincerity with which he said that was to much.

He smiled softly, and wrapped his arms around Jack. "I love you to..."

They stood there for a minute, caught up in a moment of bliss.

When they got there, Jack had to head off to change, leaving Kyle alone.

He proceeded to call Stan, Kenny and Alex using conference call or whatever it was called..

"Hey dude!" Stan greeted. "How was it?"

"It was amazing!" Kyle said softly, distracted.

"It must have been if you say it as you did," Alex commented.

"Jack...said he loves me..." Kyle said with a smile.

"Yay!" Alex cried happily, clapping his hands.

"Wow...dude..." Stan began, at a loss for words.

"He didn't pull out a ring already, right?" Kenny asked.

"No..." Kyle said, a bit sadly at that. He was already imagining that day.

"I told him I loved him back…This whole trip was amazing. We went on every ride, and Jack insisted that he carried our souvenirs...He's such a gentleman..."

"Sounds like you happened upon perfect husband material," Alex chuckled.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Alex." Stan said, a little seriously.

"He...hasn't pressured you into anything right?" Kenny asked.

"No. He hasn't." Kyle replied. "I did have a nightmare last night, and he pretty much held me. You might be right, Alex. I can't wait to move in with him when I turn eighteen this May!"

"Well, I'm glad you've found someone who makes you so happy. I hope your happiness will not be unjustly diminished," Alex said.

"Kyle..." Kenny began.

"What?" Kyle asked.

There was silence for a few seconds, before Kenny said quickly.

"It's nothing. I gotta go." He said a bit to quickly.

Stan hung up as well, leaving just Alex on the line.

"That was… um... " Alex stuttered.

"Weird?" Kyle asked, though he understood why they were like that.

It made sense, honestly. But he still felt safe with Jack.

"Alex, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Should I tell Jack what happened?"

"Well, it may sound a bit cliche, but honesty is the best policy. If you are to trust each other, then you should tell him all that troubles you so he can help you to be happy," Alex said.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Jack walked out.

Kyle said softly. "Thank you Alex. I gotta go."

"Goodbye," Alex said as he hung up.

Jack looked at Kyle with concern. He sat down beside him, and said,

"If you're not ready to say-"

"No." Kyle said firmly.

"I _need_ to tell you. You deserve to know the truth."

Jack looked at him, before nodding.

" _Please_ don't hate me." Kyle whimpered.

Jack was about to ask why he'd hate him, before Kyle said softly.

"I was raped. Two years ago, I was walking home, and these people grabbed me. It hurt so much. They wore masks and gloves and...It was awful..."

Kyle began to sob as he looked down.

"Stan and Kenny found me after they left me in the forest. I made them _promise_ never to tell anyone. It was too painful. I was too scared. I didn't want to go through something so awful again..."

"Then I found you. You are so kind, so loving, so gentle. You haven't pressured me to do anything. You gave me all those gifts, you took me here. I...I feel _safe_ around you. It will always be there, but you've made it easier to bare. When you said you loved me earlier...I believed it, and I knew I needed to tell you..."

He looked away.

"I understand if you don't want to stay with a mess like me-"

He was cut off when he felt Jack pull him into a hug.

"Kyle, I meant what I said earlier. I am _not_ leaving you because of something that _wasn't_ your fault! You deserve happiness, love, and hope. I don't know if I can always give that, but I want you to be _happy_. This is _not_ your fault. It never was, and never will be. I will stand by you, and with you, through thick and thin. Because I love you, and I will _never_ hurt you. If someone tries to hurt you, or make you uncomfortable, then I'll be there to protect you. And I know you'd do the same for me. I love you, and I promise that I'll do my best to give you the life you deserve..."

Kyle looked at him.

He hugged him again, and Jack pulled him close.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here." Jack said softly.

Kyle, for the first time in a while and hearing so many say it, began to believe it.

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Jack awoke with a feeling of worry. What Kyle told him last night was like a knife. He _never_ expected him to say something like that. The idea of his boyfriend going through that awful act was agony. Kyle didn't deserve that. He deserved nothing but happiness.

Jack was feeling _woefully_ inadequate right now. How...how was he supposed to tell Kyle's mom that he and Kyle were dating, if she knew? Surely she did?

' _Yeah, hi Mrs. Broflovski, I know we just met a few days ago, but I'm dating your son. And probably will bang him at some point-'_

He stopped. He was still a normal teenager, and he got those urges. Kyle was beautiful. Jack wanted to do more since they started dating, but after hearing that, he honestly didn't want to do anything that Kyle was absolutely fine with.

He _wouldn't_ force Kyle. He _wouldn't_ pressure Kyle. He would let Kyle decide when they consummate their love when, or maybe even _if_ , he was ready.

Kyle was snuggled up against him, much like the night before. The feelings Jack had that night remained. They were also amplified.

He looked down at the peacefully sleeping redhead, and he became determined.

' _I will always protect you...Whatever you need or want, it's yours. If you need time, I'll give it. If you want to wait, I will wait. I love you...'_

Jack reached forward with his free hand, and ran a hand through the redhead's curly hair. It was so soft, like silk…

Kyle stirred, and looked up. "Good morning..." He said with a smile.

Jack smiled back, and kissed his forehead. "Good morning, babe."

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Jack led Kyle down the brick path between Disneyland and California Adventure.

Kyle noticed that the bricks all had names and dates on them…

He stopped, and knelt to the ground by one. He placed his hand on it.

Kyle read it…

 _Anderson Family_

 _2009_

"I am the last of them..." Jack said softly. "My grandfather died soon after my grandmother of a broken heart. My parents were killed in a car accident in may..."

He put a hand on the brick. "Hey guys...I miss you so much..." He began.

"I am taking care of the business, dad. Mom, I still can't figure out how to cook that damn lasagna!"

Kyle laughed at that. "Grandpa, grandma, I hope you're there with them, and I hope you know how much I love you guys. And..."

He looked at Kyle, and motioned for him to join him. Kyle did so, and Jack placed his hand on the brick, beside his.

"I...found love. This is Kyle. I wish you guys could meet him. You would have loved him. As I do now."

Kyle smiled sadly at that…

He really did wish he could have met Jack's family…

"Can I say something?" Kyle asked.

Jack nodded.

"Hi, I...promise I'll love Jack. He has been so kind to me, and I love him so much...He's given me hope again..."

Jack smiled. "He's given me hope as well. It was so nice coming here with him..."

He got up, and turned to Kyle.

"Thank you."

Kyle nodded with a smile.

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Stan and Kenny were worried. Sure, they had been happy, but there was the simple fact that Kyle couldn't stand any more heartbreak. They knew what that night did to him, and the possibility of someone else hurting him was too painful… If Jack hurt Kyle in any way…

"Why do you worry?" Alex asked them as they waited outside the Arrivals exit at the airport.

"Because Kyle's our friend...If Jack hurts him, he has to deal with us." Stan said firmly.

"I get that, but I have faith that Jack will protect Kyle with his life," Alex said. "I think their love is genuine, and it will only be productive," he added.

Stan sighed. "You weren't there when it happened...I just hope you're right."

Kenny nodded. "Kyle deserves happiness. He deserves someone who will protect him. Jack needs to prove that he can do both."

As if on cue, they spotted Jack walking out with…

He was carrying a sleeping Kyle in his arms, while dragging three bags. He did _not_ look like he was enjoying this…

Alex pursed his lips as he tried to suppress the urge to laugh. "H-had fun?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Jack asked tersely.

Stan and Kenny had to chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Jack sighed. "Can someone take the bags please?!"

"Yes, sir!" Alex replied as he took the bags from Jack's possession.

Jack relaxed a bit, and began walking.

"Have you been carrying him from the plane?" Alex asked.

Jack nodded. "He fell asleep halfway here, and he's a deep sleeper. I have to say, it's kind of cute."

Stan cocked a brow. "You look like Prince Charming carrying the Princess."

Jack shrugged. "Whatever."

"You haven't done anything, have you?" Kenny asked.

Jack stopped, and said firmly. "No."

Kenny nodded, finally smiling a bit in amusement.

"Just checking."

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It was the next morning and Drew was sitting in the living room of his tiny apartment just on the edge of South Park.

The time was about 9 AM and he sat there staring at the check he had received from Dana White just last night.

As the birds chirped outside, Drew began to think to himself,

' _$150,000… I've never had that much money before! Not even HALF of that! This is so surreal..'_

He would head to the local bank and cash it in a bit later today, but for some reason he felt as if he had to do _something_ first! Drew knew _exactly_ what it was.. It had been on his mind all night.

Drew pulled out his cheap flip phone and opened it up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper Bebe had given to him last night. He didn't know why, but for _some_ reason, he was so _nervous_! He was literally beginning to heat up and sweat a little bit. Drew had never really _had_ a girlfriend before, mostly because he spent his entire life's focus on MMA..

' _If you can fight a 265 pound Mark Hunt, then SURELY you can talk to a girl!'_ Drew scolded himself mentally.

But for some reason, he found his fingers frozen just above the buttons to dial it. This both frustrated and frightened Drew. This honestly was just _so_ alien of a concept to him! How would it go anyways? Would she think he wasn't good enough? Did she change her mind?

' _Quit making such a big fucking deal out of it! She gave the number to you for a reason! Now grow a pair and fucking do it!'_

Drew took a deep breath and finally sighed. With that, he dialed the phone number and waited for a response. As it rang, he tried to keep calm and control himself.

Surely this would be easy once things started going a bit.

"Hello?" Bebe said on the other end.

' _This is happening..'_ Drew thought.

"H- Hey." Drew replied nervously.

"Oh, hey Drew! How are you? I was wondering when you were gonna call!" Bebe said almost in an upbeat way.

Drew then grinned slightly. She actually seemed… _excited_ to talk to him! No one besides his mother, and recently his group at South Park, had _ever_ cared much about him before!

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad..

"I.. I'm doing good." Drew replied with a slight chuckle. "How're you doing? Did you enjoy the fights last night?"

"I'm doing good too. Thanks for asking!" There was a slight pause before she added, "As for the fights, eh.. I guess they were okay." Bebe finished half teasingly.

Drew smirked.

"Just 'okay', huh?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, okay.. I see how it is."

They both laughed a bit at that. There was a bit of silence, and Drew decided to cut the small talk and get _right_ to the chase! Too much small talk was never good.

"So hey, listen, Bebe.." Drew began. "I went into Dana White's office last night after you gave me your number and, well, guess how much I got paid for that fight?"

"Hmm.." Bebe began to think. "I dunno, $2,000?"

"Try $150,000!"

There was an evident gasp from Bebe.

"No way! You serious!?"

"Very serious.." Drew laughed.

"Holy _shit_." Bebe slipped out. There was a nervous chuckle that followed. "Sorry about that.. It's just-"

"No, I understand.." Drew laughed. "I don't give a fuck."

There was another small laugh from Bebe.

"Noted.." After a bit of more silence, she added. "So what do you plan on _spending_ that money on? I wouldn't know _what_ to do if it were me!"

"Well," Drew began. "that's kinda what I was getting to.. I feel the same way." Drew shrugged and just flat out said it. "You wanna go out sometime? With this kinda money I'll have enough for not only a nicer place, but for fun too!"

"Just what are you implying?.." Bebe joked. This caused Drew to flush red and immediately correct himself.

"N- No! What I meant was-"

Bebe laughed at the top of her lungs for several seconds. When she recovered, she said,

"You're cute.. I was just joking, dummy."

Drew rolled his eyes on the other end.

"Oh, ha _ha_.. Real funny joke, Bebe."

"Oh, and for your information, the answer is _yes_! I'd love to go out with you! When were you planning on going? What do you wanna do?"

Drew had to smile at that. What was he so _worried_ about? This wasn't that bad! He was actually pretty excited! He'd never _been_ on a date before!

"How about.. tonight?" Drew asked. "6:00 work for you?"

"Yep!" Bebe replied excitedly.

"Cool." After a brief bit of silence, Drew said, "Okay, well I'll see you then, Bebe! Be thinking of stuff we can do, because I dunno yet." He finished with a laugh.

"Oh, don't worry.. I will." Bebe replied.

"Alright, see ya then."

"Bye." Bebe made a kissing sound on the other end before hanging up. Drew widened his eyes at that and held his chest slightly.

At that moment, he could do nothing besides shake his head with a smile.

He wasn't quite sure what this feeling was, but if he had to guess, he only narrowed it down to one thing.

 _Love.._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sheila Broflovski crossed her arms as Kyle explained what was going on.

"...And...I love him ma. I really do. I know...I know that-"

"Kyle," she said, cutting him off.

"You're almost eighteen. I trust you, as long as it's completely consensual, and he is good to you."

Kyle smiled slightly, which caused Sheila to grin slightly. She could see in his that he was serious, but her protective maternal instincts remained in place. She _didn't_ trust Jack. He would have to prove that he could be good to Kyle. She remembered the horror of that night, but for Kyle's sake, she decided to play it by ear. But the _moment_ it seemed Kyle was in danger, then she would put a stop to it.

She sighed. "And about your question about spending a few nights a week at Jack's house, go ahead, but please keep your phone on. And let me know if something happens."

Kyle's grin widened, and he nodded. "Thanks ma!"

As he left, her smile fell.

 _Please be good to my son_.

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Jack drove the car back towards his house, smiling ear to ear.

Kyle was just as happy, by the looks of it.

Deciding to take a slight risk, Jack said as he pulled into his driveway: "Welcome home..."

Kyle stopped, and grinned at him. "Thanks..."

As they exited the car, Jack stopped. A package was on the doorstep, but he hadn't ordered anything…

Cocking a brow, he walked over, and picked it up. It was light, and kind of small.

"What? Your package arrive early or something?" Kyle asked.

"I didn't order anything, though..." Jack shrugged. But it was addressed to Jack Anderson, from a…

Jack stopped. It seemed to be from someone called "The Operator"...

Jack unlocked the door, and Kyle followed him inside. The redhead turned on the lights, while Jack opened the box. It looked like a TV remote, but with the general shape of a smartphone.

It was all black, with a pristine, shiny appearance that seemed to convey a sense of technological advancement far beyond that of current technology…

There was a chrome button, and two silver knobs, one just above the button, and the other at the front.

"What is that?" Kyle asked, a bit confused.

"No idea..." Jack whispered, before he pressed the button. Suddenly, a futuristic, holographic screen popped up from the port just above the chrome button. Jack's eyes widened in surprise, before they turned to confusion.

This hologram looked like a computer's File Explorer, with countless different folders and files.

These included "blueprints, historical designs, custom designs, and…"

Jack stopped.

"Deployment Plan".

There were also a few buttons, like the normal search bar, delete, and so on. Curious, he pressed "help".

"The Replicator is a tool developed to give its user access to any type of technology, lifeform, element or material that their race or society has developed or conceived. Users can deploy these items to reality by adding files to Deployment Plan, but can only deploy a certain number of items every 24 hours. However, this number grows depending on the time a single user owns their replicator."

Jack froze.

He looked through some of the files, and sure enough, _every_ conceivable thing in human history was there…

He paused. He saw something that…

Oh no. No, it surely wouldn't…

He grinned.

"Jack..." Kyle began, though he was joking.

Jack selected a Lightsaber, just for shits and giggles, and edited it a bit. After finishing, and saving his design as "Jack's Lightsaber", he placed it in deployment plan. He lost a good number of points, but there was still a large amount left…

Then, after hitting "confirm", the Replicator began to glow…

Then, a blue beam shot from the Replicator, like the physgun from the game Garry's Mod. And then, on the ground in front of them, the hilt of a _lightsaber_ …

Dead silence…

"Is...did you...is that?!"

Jack walked over, and picked up the hilt. It wasn't to heavy, but it was metal, like the real thing, and not like a toy.

He looked it over, before he took a deep breath, and pressed the button. The famous snap-hiss and the low, otherworldly hum were underscored by the glowing, blue plasma blade.

Jack grinned in utter awe.

Kyle's mouth dropped to the floor in absolute shock, this...this couldn't be _real_!

Jack moved the blade a bit, before he deactivated it. He turned to Kyle. "Let's go outside, see if it works..."

Kyle stopped. "As long as I'm a good twenty miles away..."

Jack chuckled, before the two headed to the backyard. Jack's eyes landed on a rock. Grinning, he reactivated the lightsaber, and with one quick slash, cut clean through it. Cauterized rock covered the area he had cut through on both halves…

"It's fucking real!" Kyle said, grinning.

Jack chuckled. "I just got a brilliant idea..."

Kyle stopped. "Oh? Already planning on conquering the world Darth?"

Jack laughed, and shook his head. "Nope, that's tomorrow."

He went into the Replicator, and selected something else. After editing it a bit (mostly it's behavior and growth rate, so it would mature in one year and view humans as masters and not as prey, as something it's adult version would most likely do), he pressed the same deploy button.

A small egg was suddenly deployed, and then, it stirred. Kyle walked forward, and knelt down to get a better look. "Are you sure whatever's in there won't eat us immediately?" He asked, half serious.

Jack shook his head. "I designed her to be more friendly then her natural self, and mature in about a year."

Then he stopped. "We might need some renovations..."

Kyle chuckled, before a small snout cracked through the egg.

Kyle's eyes widened.

It was the head of a tiny reptile. It had a somewhat large, boxy skull, and large eyes, and resembled…

Kyle looked to Jack.

"You didn't?!"

Jack grinned. "I did. Extinction is now obsolete..."

Kyle turned back when the little _T-rex_ chirped.

It looked between them, and chirped again.

"As expected. She's imprinting on us." Jack commented with a grin.

"What?"

"Baby birds will often view the first thing they see as their mother. In this case, you and I."

Kyle turned around as the baby T-rex pushed free of its egg, and hobbled forward, a little awkwardly. She shivered slightly, and Kyle immediately reached forward, and picked her up. He held her close, and she calmed slightly.

"I forgot, T-rexes preferred warmer environments..." Jack commented. He motioned for Kyle to follow him.

"How do we even know that?" Kyle asked, confused. How could bones tell them climate preference?

"Well, we look at evidence of their environment." Jack explained. "We find things that we would find in modern environments, like a riverbed, and plants, and we can make an educated guess. Rexy here lived in a sub-tropical forest, like what you'd see in modern day Chile."

Kyle looked at him like he was crazy. "I grew up studying dinosaurs and military history." Jack shrugged.

Kyle nodded. "Cool. So I'm guessing we recreate the Jedi and Jurassic Park soon?"

Jack shrugged again. "Well, the Empire and Jurassic Park, but yeah."

Kyle grinned. "That should be fun."

Jack nodded. "I also want to do a little terraforming. Maybe claim Mars as our Empire, so we don't steal land from anybody, and terraform it so we can release our animals there to live free as well as in our zoos."

Kyle nodded.

"Rexy, huh?"

Jack stopped. "What, it's the name of the T-rex in Jurassic Park and Jurassic World."

Kyle chuckled. "I actually like it. It suits her..."

Jack grinned. "Already getting attached, are we?"

Kyle looked down at the baby T-rex, who looked up at Kyle. She chirped again, and cocked her head to the side like a curious duckling.

Kyle smiled. "No, _definitely_ not." He said sarcastically.

Jack smiled.

"Well, we have school tomorrow, so I guess we should head to bed..."

Kyle nodded. "She's house trained, right?"

Jack nodded. "Yes. I thought ahead," he laughed.


	4. Chapter 3, Date Night

Jack walked through the shop, looking for a suitable gift for his boyfriend.

He wanted to get Kyle something nice, but also something meaningful. Just what, he had no idea. His search was stopped, when he heard someone call his name.

"Hey, Jack!" The familiar voice of Drew called out. Jack turned with a slight grin to face him. Jack could notice obvious physical changes on Drew's face based on last night's events. He had a blackened left eye, multiple cuts on his face, as well as a couple of bruises. Though those injuries aside, Drew still kept a slight grin on his face. He appeared to be wearing a brown jacket as well, probably for the cold weather outside.

"Hey man." Jack greeted with a smile, though his smile faded a bit when he realized that Drew had found him in a store that normally sold gifts for couples. He still hadn't told Drew about his relationship with Kyle, but would probably have to now. Drew was not stupid. He'd probably figure it out sooner or later.

"Whatcha doing at this place anyways? This place is for girls! I-" Drew paused for a bit as he put the pieces together. He smirked and added somewhat teasingly, "You're shopping for that _girl_ you like, aren't you? Ya should've _said_ something, man! I would've helped you out!"

Drew paused and a couple seconds later, finished,

"I'm actually in the same situation, myself."

Jack cocked a brow. "You and Bebe finally together?" He asked with a slight grin. "About damn time."

"Was it that obvious?" Drew asked with a cocked brow of his own. "I literally couldn't tell she was even into me until last night."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, same situation with me and..." He trailed off.

"You can _tell_ me who she is, you know.." Drew said with a slight smirk. "I ain't gonna say nothing."

Jack shrugged. "I'm not so sure about that..."

Drew cocked a brow and questioned,

"When have I ever told any secrets? Never, that's when!"

Jack hesitated. "Come on, I'll explain outside. Promise me you won't be weirded out about it?"

"Why would I be weirded out? What, is she.. into some weird shit or somethin-" Drew cut himself off, and got more serious. He sighed and put his right hand on his chest.

"I promise I will _not_ be weirded out.."

Jack hesitated, before saying. "It's Kyle."

Drew immediately gasped. His eyes widened immediately, and he just stood there, too stunned to speak for a little bit.

Jack looked at Drew, before speaking. "We went to Disneyland this weekend, and we...went on a date before the fight."

Drew looked down lower for a moment, his eyes still widened in shock of this news.

"I- I'm sorry, it's just… so _unexpected_." Drew explained.

Jack nodded. "It's...fine."

He then looked at Drew. "This doesn't change our friendship, right?"

Drew looked up at Jack and seriously stated,

"No, it doesn't.. Why should it? I mean.. hell, I'll be honest, I've had different views about gays in the past, but that's behind me now.. It doesn't affect me or my life directly, so what does it matter? That's your lives.. You live it the best you can, and do what you love. Love who you want."

Jack nodded. "That means a lot..."

He then added. "But enough about me. So when are you and Bebe meeting up? Or have you done so already?

Drew looked at Jack and simply stated,

"6:00 tonight.. I still have a few hours, so I thought I might look around here to see if I can buy her something. I might, I might not.. Either way, I'll make sure this first date is memorable!" He ended with a grin.

"I cashed in my check and put it in the bank, so that's finalized. Pretty decent payout, I must say." Drew chuckled.

Jack nodded with a slight grin. "There is...something else I thought I'd talk about. However, I don't quite know how to explain it."

"Well, you could _try_ to explain it, I suppose." Drew said.

Jack chuckled. "Oh trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I did."

He stopped. "Come to think of it, I guess it can wait."

Drew shrugged and said,

"Well, whatever you think is best, man. I probably need to focus on this date, anyways. _God_ , I'm so nervous!"

Jack shrugged. "Trust me, that's completely normal. Hell, you saw how nervous I was before I finally told Kyle."

"You're right on that.." Drew simply replied. He gave a slight sigh once more and added, "Maybe I'm freaking out for nothing.. Surely it'll be fine, but still-"

Drew cut himself off. It was obvious to Jack how uncertain and nervous he was. Drew had never been romantically involved with _anyone_ before, and it showed.

Jack was about to reply, before they heard Alex's voice chime in a little ways away. He was humming a tune of something he was listening to through the red Sony headphones he was sporting as he browsed the items, and when his eyes fell upon Drew and Jack, he smiled and said,

"Oh, hey guys! Fancy meeting you in a place like this."

"You got that right.." Drew muttered. "Why does it seem like we're all often in the same place? Coincidence? What're you doing at this store anyways, Alex? You have a girlfriend too?" Drew questioned, and viewing the situation in a humorous and sarcastic light.

"Actually, I'm looking for a necklace that my mother was interested in when I came in here with her, and I thought that I would buy it for her," Alex replied. "I just can't remember where it was. You seen a multicoloured necklace?" he asked.

"Umm.." Drew began, turning around slightly to look from a distance at where they usually kept their necklaces and other jewelry. "I _think_ I saw one like that when I walked past there earlier.. You'd better hurry, though. I think I saw a couple older women browsing that section."

"Okay, cheers," Alex responded before making his way to the section. He did see the elderly women, but they had since moved on, and in front of where he was standing was the necklace.

Hanging from it were six gems, each of them were purple, blue, red, orange, green and yellow. Attached to it was a price tag. It read a lazily written $8. He gently picked it up and delivered it to the cashier. He gave her $10, and she gave him $2 in return and wrapped the necklace in tissue paper and carefully put it in a bag.

As they headed out, Jack spoke. "Um, guys mind if I show you guys something? I found this weird thing last night, and...I need to confirm I'm not high."

"I've never taken recreational drugs, so I wouldn't know either way," Alex said.

"I'm willing to bet whatever it is, you probably were.." Drew joked. He retained a serious expression and added, "No, but what is it?"

Jack sighed, and motioned for them to follow him.

As Jack opened the door to his house, he suddenly remembered, he hadn't told them about Rexy…

Drew and Alex noticed Jack's sudden hesitation fairly quickly.

"Why so nervous all of a sudden?" Drew questioned with a cocked brow.

His question was answered when they saw the baby T-rex sleeping on a couch not to far away. Her chest was rising just enough to tell that she wasn't a really good plush, but alive.

"That's a messed up looking dog," Alex joked.

Drew, on the other hand, widened his eyes in shock.

"What the f-" He cut himself off and turned towards Jack, roughly whispering to him, "Where the hell did that come from!? That's not real.. is it? What- How the-"

Drew could hardly get out a full sentence. He was still trying to process just how such a thing could exist in today's world.

Jack sighed. "She is very real. To be specific, she's a _Tyrannosaurus rex_. And she's alive."

"Unless you've pulled some John Hammond shit, that is not scientifically possible," Alex commented.

Jack took a deep breath, and headed into the house. After a little while, he returned with a remote. "Anything from any movies or books or whatever you guys really like?" He asked.

"What?" Drew questioned. "You gotta be joking! That thing _surely_ can't-" He was cut off when Alex spoke up.

"Captain America's shield," he requested.

Jack shrugged, and after a few clicks, that very shield suddenly materialized at Alex's feet.

Alex gasped. He leaned down to pick it up and found that it weighed as much as he had expected. A third the weight of steel. As he lifted it up, he heard the sound it made when it absorbed kinetic energy.

"I feel like I'm cheating just by having this! Like, should I show this to other people and pass it off as a prop replica?" Alex asked.

Drew put both hands on the side of his head and widened his eyes, utterly speechless by what he just saw.

"Unbelievable.." He muttered. "Does- Does it-" He cut himself off and requested to Jack, "Can you make a sledgehammer?"

Jack nodded, and a hammer appeared at Drew's feet. Jack put the replicator away, before he headed into the other room for a moment, before returning with the lightsaber hilts.

Drew simply shook his head, still in awe at all of this. However, he ignored it for now and decided to test if this was all really true..

"Alex, let's go to the backyard so I can hit that shield with this hammer. I have to see if that shield is really legit.."

Drew still clearly appeared skeptic, so he wanted to make sure this was in fact reality.

Jack cocked a brow, before he grinned. "That gives me an idea."

As they headed outside, Jack said to Drew, "Just so you know, Kyle and I were just as shocked when we came across this."

"Who wouldn't.." Drew replied, still shaking his head in awe. He was having a hard time fully grasping the situation, at how such a device even operated or existed.

"Set that shield on the ground." Drew motioned to the wide open area of grass with his sledgehammer.

Alex lay the shield down in said area and stepped a few metres back, hoping to avoid any potential shards of steel if it was proven to be a fake.

Drew held the sledgehammer over his shoulder and eyed the shield, readying his target. After taking a deep breath, Drew swung the sledgehammer as hard as he could onto the shield.

What happened next was.. unexpected..

The shield not only absorbed the blow, but _also_ reflected the impact of the blow _back_ onto what had struck it in the first place!

Drew flew back many feet, dropping the sledgehammer where he once stood. He fell into a nearby bush, wincing at how painful that was. Had he been just a bit more accurate in his swing, he might've broken both of his wrists!

"Well, if it's proof you wanted," Alex chuckled as he offered a hand to help Drew up.

Drew breathed heavy out of his mouth for a couple seconds, before accepting the help back up to his feet.

"That's.. _unbelievable_.." Drew said. He kept using that word, but honestly, what other word was there to describe such a thing?

Drew looked down to the ground once he was back to his feet, to see that the head of the hammer had fallen off the handle _completely_!

Or in other words, it was a strong ass shield!

Jack walked forward, and got an idea. "Alex?"

"Yeah?" he replied, still retaining a smile of amazement and excitement, having fetched the shield from the floor.

Jack proceeded to make Mjølnir, or Thor's hammer, and offered it to Alex. "I challenge you!" He activated his lightsabers. "Don't worry, they've been changed to non-lethal, of course."

"How could I refuse?" Alex replied with a laugh of utter joy, fuelled by his love for film prop replicas. Not only could he re-enact scenes from his favourite films and other forms of media, he could do it with the genuine articles!

Jack grinned, and activated his lightsabers, and began to circle Alex.

Alex changed his stance to defend his body, still unsure if long rods of plasma would be as painless as Jack claimed.

Jack picked up on this, and rushed forward, sending two surgical strikes at Alex's sides, one towards his shoulder, and the other to his thigh.

Despite his lack of skill and experience in duelling, Alex blocked the shoulder-bound strike with the shield, causing a slight burn in the vibranium, but the thigh strike slightly nicked his thigh. It didn't hurt too much, but there was a noticeable mark on his leg. His reaction was hopping around, gasping in pain.

"Mum's going to kill me," he joked about the fact that his trouser leg was burned. Even at primary school, he would keep his clothes free from stains and tears, so he feared his mother's reaction.

When he recovered, Alex swung the hammer wildly at Jack, who dodged it quickly. His response was another strike aimed at Alex's hammer-wielding arm, but he brought the shield across to block the lightsaber.

The shield and lightsaber clashed. Jack tried to push Alex back, but failed to make him budge.

Alex adjusted his stance so he could swing the hammer like a tennis racquet towards Jack

Jack dodged the first swipe, but the second connected with his jaw, sending him reeling. However, due to the lower settings on the weapons, it did little more than ache.

"Christ!" Drew yelled, rushing to get in between them. Through his shock from earlier, Drew failed to hear Jack say it was non-lethal.

When he got in between them, he then shouted,

"Are you trying to fucking kill each other!? That's _dangerous_!"

Jack stopped. "They're set to non-lethal." He opened his mouth, and showed that not even a single tooth had been knocked out. "See? No real damage."

Drew immediately softened his expression a little bit, and opened his mouth to say something. However, he immediately shut it back, making the decision to not say it.

"You ready for another round?" Alex asked, offering a hand to Jack.

"What, you getting sleepy?" Jack chuckled.

Before he could continue, he thought he heard something in the forest. It almost sounded like insane laughing…

"The hell was that?" Alex asked, looking towards the forest.

Jack looked towards the forest as well, before he looked to the others. "I can't be the only one hearing that, right?"

Again, they could hear the laughing, and it didn't seem that far away. Jack began to head into the forest, activating the lightsaber, before changing the settings, to what Alex and Drew presumed to be...lethal.

Jack stopped, and turned to Drew. "You want a weapon?"

The laughter grew increasingly louder, and it became clear Drew had to make his decision fast. With a quick deep breath, Drew responded,

"Yes. Just give me, uh… Blades Of Chaos! Blades Of Chaos, just hurry. These bastards are getting closer."

Jack nodded, and a few seconds later, the weapons appeared at Drew's feet.

A sudden breeze appeared to blow through the surrounding area. As the seconds went by, the trio began to notice it grow increasingly _faster_! Seemingly out of nowhere, the strong wind ripped Drew's shirt from his body, and somehow kept him suspended mid air.

"What the-" Drew yelled in slight shock and fear, as he tried his hardest to get down. It was to no avail, however.. They all saw the Blades Of Chaos rise up from the ground on their own, and their once silver chains turned to that of a fiery _orange_ color.

The heat was so intense, the three of them could feel it where they were! The chains that were connected to the blades quickly whipped in the direction of Drew's arms, which caused him to gasp.

The burning hot chains wrapped around Drew's arms multiple times extremely tight, as if they were making sure they could never slip off. Drew screamed loudly as the boiling heat scorched his arms to oblivion. Jack and Alex could do nothing except stand there in shock and concern as they watched their friend be tortured by these Blades' fiery heat.

Finally, after what was about 30 seconds, the screaming stopped, and the chains turned back to their silver color. Drew was slowly lowered to the ground, until he was set on his knees.

Drew breathed heavily, until out of instinct, due to the tightness of the chains around his arms, he tried to loosen it. However, it would be to no avail. Drew gasped and tried even harder to pry them loose, but once again, they wouldn't budge.

"No!" Drew shouted. It was at _that_ moment that he remembered: whoever wore the Blades Of Chaos, was forever cursed to wear them on his arms, never to take them off.

All Drew could do in that instant was grip the two dagger-like blades' handles tight, and look at the chains on his arms. The blades lit up as a fiery orange again, but this time it was on the actual daggers! Whatever touched it would _surely_ be torn to shreds!

Drew smirked at this, immediately recovering from that excruciatingly _painful_ ordeal. For now, his mind was focused on using these blades to his advantage, and using them on evil, or those who deserved it. This was certainly a new side of Drew that he was just now realizing could be unlocked..

Drew was _always_ a fighter, but now he could be one and so much more!

Jack looked at him for a second, before he finally stuttered. "Drew...I'm sorry! I didn't know-"

"No, it was _my_ idea.." Drew took the blame. "I should've _remembered_ how Kratos actually _got_ those blades!" He shook his head and chuckled slightly. " _Man_ , that hurt! I've never felt so much pain in my _life_! That was like Mark Hunt times a million!"

"I didn't know that your little device acknowledges canonical details. If that was so, then I shouldn't be holding this hammer, or I would possess the power of Thor," Alex quickly commented.

Jack's eyes widened, and he looked down at his hands. He realized what Alex had just said. He dropped the lightsaber to the ground, and held his hand over it. The hilt stirred, before flying into his hand!

Before Jack could reply, the laughing got closer, and a sudden blur of brownish gold shot from one of the bushes, before bumping into Jack's leg. Jack's eyes widened, when he realized it was a lion cub!

The cub looked just as surprised, but ran behind Jack, when several hyenas stepped out of the forest.

"What the hell is this place?" one hyena asked. A voice came from their mouth!

"Who gives a toss? All we need to do is get past these puny apes and get that little runt!"

Drew once again appeared shocked, but also assumed a defensive stance.

"Are these hyenas fucking talk-" Drew immediately paused. "Well of _course_ they are! I really shouldn't question any of this, anymore.."

Jack looked to the cub, and saw a terrible expression on his face. Turning back to the hyenas, Jack activated his two lightsabers. "Just get the fuck out of here. We don't want to have to kill you, but we will."

"Scar will have that cub!" one of the hyenas taunted.

Alex replied casually. "That's not going to happen."

Drew looked down into the cub's eyes. It was full of fear, guilt, sadness, innocence… It reminded Drew of himself when he was a little boy.. How his father always neglected and abused him.. It made him feel defenseless and _worthless_!

Drew could tell the cub was feeling very similar to how he did.. Whether or not he was in the exact same situation, he didn't know.. All Drew knew was that these hyenas were trouble!

"Back the fuck off.. Or I'll kill you _myself_!" Drew demanded, trying to strike some fear into the hyenas. His new Blades Of Chaos lit up a fiery orange, and they were ready to strike.

Jack looked to the others, and just said a single word. "Go."

He rushed forward, and with one swift strike, cut the leading hyena down.

Alex ran towards the hyenas, and suddenly, he felt within him a surge of an unnatural amount of power run through him. He could feel it in his arms and his legs. The only way to unleash it was to leap high in the air, as high as the house behind them, and smash Mjølnir into two hyenas, and on impact, a huge bolt of lightning stroke the earth, obliterating the hyenas.

Three hyenas surrounded Drew, his blades still glowing that fiery orange. Out of nowhere, a hyena lunged onto Drew's shoulders from behind, catching him off guard. As the hyena tried ripping through Drew's flesh, he realized that no blood was being drawn and his skin was as tough as _nails_!

In fact, it only felt like little _gnawing_ to Drew!

Drew reached behind and grabbed the hyena by the neck, holding it up with trivial ease. The hyena felt almost _weightless_! Drew held the hyena in front of him, where he was looking him in the eyes. The choking hyena struggled for breath, but couldn't escape.

Just before the hyena was about to give out, with just a tiny bit more pressure on the neck, Drew heard a loud cracking sound. He dropped the hyena to the ground and it laid there, lifeless..

The two hyenas that were left began to back up out of utter _fear_ that they would be next. As they turned around to run for their lives, Drew swung his Blades of Chaos utilizing the chains plastered to his skin. The blades cut through their bodies like butter, and they died almost instantly, having been cut completely in _half_!

Jack deactivated his lightsabers, and turned to the others. They had just taken down a group of apex predators like it was _nothing_!

Then he remembered the cub, who looked at them with an expression of awe and wonder.

All the cub could utter was "Wow…" Never had he seen such a demonstration of power and strength, never had he seen such physical abilities of non-winged creatures or blunt-clawed beasts.

Jack took a knee, and asked gently. "Are you alright?"

"I am now, but…" the cub stalled as he appeared to remember something, and that thing made him burst into tears.

Alex edged closer to the wailing cub. "What's the matter?" he asked while stroking the cub gently. The cub flinched slightly, unsure whether to trust such dangerous beings.

Jack sat down beside him, and said softly. "We won't hurt you, we promise."

Drew looked down at the still distraught lion cub. He felt a mixture of emotions: pity, sadness, anger at the hyenas' actions, and curiosity. What was it that caused those hyenas to attack him like that? Where had he come from?

The lion cub looked up at Drew, looking him in the eye. He appeared to be trembling in slight fear. The lion cub was grateful that the trio had saved him, but still feared they might do something to hurt him.

Drew immediately softened his expression.

"I know you might not believe us when we say that.." He paused for a bit. "But I can assure you that we're only trying to help."

Drew leaned down and looked the lion cub in the eye once more, this time with a softer expression.

"What's your name, little one?.. What happened? Why were those hyenas chasing you?"

The lion cub still looked at Drew hesitantly, looking back at Jack and Alex. After a few more seconds, he turned back to Drew and softly replied,

"S- Simba.."

Drew smiled and gave a nod.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Simba.." His smile then faded and he added, "I just wish it were under better circumstances.."

Simba sighed and closed his eyes, lowering his head.

"M- My Dad.. He-" Simba began choking up. He appeared unable to speak through his tears.

Jack took a deep breath, and after a short while, pulled the cub into a gentle hug. He knew what the cub was going through, if he had to guess. The memory remained with him, even now…

"M-My Dad is dead. He was k-killed by my uncle," his voice quivered. Everyone sighed sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Simba,"Alex comforted him while sensitively stroking him on his head.

Jack took a deep breath, and asked. "Are...are you hungry, Simba? Thirsty? Is there anything we can get you?"

Simba's response was immediate.

"W- Water! Th- Those hyenas chased me through a really hot gorge, and I'm so tired.." Simba looked up at the trio and asked, "I- Is there a Waterhole nearby? I'm really thirsty.."

Jack turned to Alex, and just nodded. "There's some water in the fridge."

Alex quickly fetched the water from the fridge and also took a bowl from the pantry, poured water into it and carefully avoided spilling it while he delivered it before Simba's paws, and almost instantly, he lapped it up desperately.

"Th-thank you." Simba said as he finally quenched his thirst. Jack smiled, before nodding.

"So… do all humans manipulate weather, make things move on their own and have blades on their arms?" Simba asked, but with genuine curiosity.

"No," Alex chuckled. "We're kinda new to our abilities, and there are few, if any people who can do such things," he added.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, we didn't even expect these things to work in the first place."

Simba shivered a bit. "Is it normally this cold?"

"It's much less consistent than in East Africa," Alex commented.

Jack nodded in agreement. "It's a little warmer inside. Heck, we actually can control how warm or cold it is in...our caves, I guess you'd call them." It was a little harding wording it in a way the cub would understand.

Simba blinked. It was shocking to him, that this was even possible to begin with…

"I don't mean to be hasty, but may we go inside your cave?" Simba asked politely. Observing it, he thought that it was rather square, ornate and had a sense that it was not made by nature.

Jack nodded. "Sure. Come on."

Simba followed Jack through the door, and they were followed by Drew and Alex. Alex put Mjølnir on a table, but noticed that Drew didn't do the same with his weapons.

"Are you seriously stuck with those forever?" Alex asked Drew about his Blades of Chaos.

"Yeah, pretty much." Drew replied rather casually. He couldn't help but sigh, though. That's sure to be an interesting topic to have on a first date..

"That's quite an inconvenience," was Alex's response.

"I would say so.." Drew replied sarcastically, giving a slight chuckle.

Jack sat down on a couch. Simba looked around, a bit curiously, before he followed, and jumped up onto the couch. He was surprised by how soft it was…

"I wonder how many lions come across humans immediately after being forced from their home," Simba chuckled. He seemed pretty chipper considering the circumstances.

Jack looked at him for a second, noticing this. He began to get a little concerned.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the Freelands are, do you? I might as well spend the rest of my worthless life there," he said, instilling a feeling of sadness in the three friends.

"Simba, there is no one being who is worthless," Alex replied, hoping to encourage some self-esteem in the cub.

Jack nodded. "You're _not_ worthless. It wasn't your fault what happened."

Simba sighed. "If I didn't roar at that chameleon and spook the wildebeests, my dad wouldn't have had to rescue me," he said with guilt weighing down on his throat.

Drew looked at him with seriousness. Not a stern kind of seriousness, but one that looked like he wanted to persuade him otherwise.

"You said it yourself, Simba.." Drew said. "It was your _uncle_ who did that to your father.. You have no reason to feel guilty about it."

Drew sheathed his Blades out of sight for the first time in a while and added,

"In fact, based on what you've told us, there could be _so_ much more than meets the eye." Drew looked at Simba and softly finished, "Please try not to beat yourself up over it.. I've done that my whole life, and it was a mistake."

"You know what? I'm not sure if any of this is real! My Dad can't be dead! He literally promised to be there for me forever. This must be all some weird dream, and I reckon I'm going to wake up in a few minutes," Simba exclaimed while jumping off the couch and running up the stairs.

"Simba, where are you going?" Alex called out and then ran after him, and he was followed by Drew and Jack.

"He's not doing what I think he's doing, is he?" Drew asked hurriedly.

Jack was the first to reach him. Simba ran at one of the windows, which was half open, before just as he leapt out, he suddenly stopped in mid-air. Jack had instinctively did the only thing that could have enabled him to get to the cub in time. He used the force to stop him from falling.

"What the- how did you do that? Why are you stopping me from waking up? I need to see my Dad and Mom and Nala and everyone!" Simba cried, almost on the verge of tears.

Jack looked at him, before he took a deep breath. "Simba, you _know_ that this isn't a dream. This won't accomplish anything." He said softly.

Simba relaxed. "I couldn't imagine something like this. I just… I don't want to believe that my Dad is…" he couldn't bring himself to say the cursed word.

Jack took a deep breath as he pulled the cub into the room. "I know. I was the same when I lost my parents last year..."

"I'm sorry for that… I'm sorry I did that. I just can't believe I've lost so much in one go. My family, my friends, my kingdom… my future. What do I have to live for?" Simba asked, still near tears.

Jack looked at him, before replying. "Your father wouldn't want you to get hurt. He would want you to live. He would want you to remember him. And one day, to return. And when that day comes, you won't be alone. That I promise."

Simba sniffed. "Really?" He asked, the tiniest note of hope in his voice evident.

"Of course," Alex chimed in, hoping to increase the amount of hope in his heart.

Jack nodded in agreement. "You're safe with us. We won't let anyone hurt you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex had to leave a little later, but Drew remained with Simba and Jack. The two spent the next few hours answering Simba's questions about humans, and the world they lived in. It was a lot for the cub to wrap his head around, but he paid attention, and tried to learn the best he could.

Simba was most interested in how food was acquired in human terms. The very idea of just being able to either go somewhere in your home and getting something, or being able to just walk down to a local "restaurant" and exchanging what seemed like pebbles and leaves to him was, as well as the simple fact that they didn't have to kill anything directly, was alien to him, but it did interest him simply for the fact that it was so different.

The group was startled when a knock on the door followed. Jack cocked a brow, before he got up, and headed to the door. He grinned when he saw it was Bebe and Kyle.

"Hey!" He greeted as he opened the door.

"Hey!" Kyle said with a grin as he hugged Jack. "Bebe and I were talking just now, and she suggested you, me, her and Drew go on a double date."

"Oh did she now?" Drew asked with a smirk, looking over at Bebe.

Bebe shrugged and replied,

"You men were taking too long messing around over here, so me and Kyle were talking, and it just came to me.. Sounds like it could be fun!"

Jack chuckled. "Sorry, long story..."

Kyle cocked a brow. "What happened?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply, before he looked to Drew. He wasn't quite sure how to explain the _list_ of things that had just happened, in particular, with Drew with the Blades of Chaos.

Drew seemed to pick up on this cue, and gave a sigh. He lifted up his sleeves and revealed the blades, whose chains were ingrained into his skin.

Bebe immediately gasped and widened her eyes in shock. She quickly walked up to Drew and lightly grasped his arms, even trying to loosen the chains, but to no avail.

"Oh my God.. What happened, Drew!? Why are these things stuck like this!? What-" She cut herself off, unable to really speak. All she could do was breathe a little heavily and look on in worry.

"Bebe.." Drew said, holding both of her hands in his. "I promise.. It's gonna be okay. I'm perfectly fine.. It's just-" Drew gave yet another sigh. "-It's quite the story.."

Jack nodded, before Kyle looked at Jack. "Was...that freak weather earlier..."

Jack simply nodded. He took a deep breath. "Well, you know a bit about this already, Kyle, but still, this might take a little time to explain."

After approximately fifteen minutes of slightly detailed explanation, the two finally reached the end of it all. Drew and Jack had gone back and forth giving their perspective on things.

"-And they just.. Just got _sliced_ , right in half!" Drew exclaimed. This caused Bebe and Kyle to both gasp.

"Those blades are _that_ powerful!?" Bebe questioned.

"So wait.. _Dude_! You have Blades that can literally _rip_ through flesh, as well as tough skin, Alex has a hammer that was used by a _god_ , and Jack actually _has_.." Kyle looked over at Jack, the shock still evident on his face. It appeared he was waiting for Jack to say more on the matter.

Jack took a deep breath, and he held up his hand, and the remote on the table ten feet away flew into his hand.

"Yeah, like we said, it's a long story."

"And there's.. well.." Drew looked over at Jack, before chuckling slightly. "We actually _saved_ someone after killing those hyenas.. The hyenas were chasing him.."

"You did?" Bebe asked once again in slight surprise. She then gave a grin. "That's _amazing_ you guys! Who was it? Anyone we know?"

" _Actually_ ," Drew began with a smirk. "that's the kicker.."

Jack nodded. "Simba, can you come in here?" He called.

To the surprise of Bebe and Kyle, this 'Simba' was a small lion cub. "Um..hello." The cub said with a slightly nervous smile.

Kyle's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden speech of what he had thought was an animal, while Bebe, gave a sudden scream of surprise.

"I- Is that a _lion_?" Bebe then realized the other elephant in the room. "And did that lion just.. _talk_?" She was clearly caught way off guard and wasn't quite sure what to think.

Jack took another few minutes to explain the basics of what happened, though he didn't touch upon Simba's traumatic experience before he had arrived, out of respect for the cub's privacy.

He also made sure to explain Rexy to Bebe, so she didn't get any more surprises.

As he finished up his explanation, he shrugged. "That's...pretty much what happened. That was what was keeping us."

Bebe, who stood there for several seconds in shocked silence, finally managed to get out,

"Any other surprises?"

Drew smirked and said,

"Nah, I think that about covers it." Bebe couldn't help but roll her eyes with a grin of her own. But still, she'd be lying if she said this wasn't all really insane!

Jack, deciding to change the subject, suggested. "Why don't we actually go on that double date you guys suggested?"

Kyle perked up a bit. "I'd like that."

Jack grinned, and turned to Drew and Bebe. "You guys still want to go?"

"What do you think, babe?" Drew asked, a smirk still on his face.

"'Babe', huh?" Bebe said with a smirk of her own. "Didn't know we were giving each other nicknames now.."

"Guess we are." Drew chuckled.

After that little exchange, Bebe finally got back to the question at hand. She looked over at Jack and answered his question,

"We'd love to."

Jack and Kyle smiled at that, happy that they would get to spend an evening alongside two of their best friends.

"Where were we thinking of going, anyways?" Drew questioned.

"Well, there is that new Japanese restaurant downtown." Kyle suggested. "I could go for some sushi. Even if it pisses off that Chinese guy..."

Drew couldn't help but laugh.

"The Shitty Wok guy? I gotta admit, that guy's funny! I like him."

Jack nodded. "We settled, or have any other suggestions?"

"Japanese is fine with me.." Bebe confirmed.

"Yeah.." Drew shrugged. "Same here. I'm down for anything at this point."

Jack grinned. "Except tacos? I remember you mentioning you hated Mexican food."

Bebe cocked a brow, looking at Drew with a shocked expression, yet gave a smirk at the same time.

"And _when_ were you gonna tell me this?.." Bebe teased.

Drew rolled his eyes.

"Okay, _except_ for Mexican food.. And I was _gonna_ tell you, but-"

Drew was cut off by Bebe, who continued to playfully tease him,

"Excuses, excuses.." She had to laugh at that. Drew couldn't help but laugh along with her. After all, he was getting the last laugh anyways: they weren't going to a Mexican place!

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"So...all that stuff is real, not just the items?" Kyle asked as the four of them walked towards the restaurant.

"I guess so. I have to say, I only realized that after the Blades of Chaos." Jack replied.

"I gotta admit, you guys.." Drew began, catching everyone's attention. "Ever since those blades were attached to my arms, I've felt… _stronger_ than usual. Like, _way_ stronger! I don't know how to describe it.."

"Now that you mention it," Bebe interjected, looking down at her hand, which was interlocked with Drew's. "your grip _does_ feel kinda tight.. Nothing crazy or anything, just tighter than normal."

Drew cocked a brow.

"Woah, seriously..?" He questioned. Bebe could only nod in response.

Jack thought for a moment, before he commented as well. He saw these guys screaming at each other about something, so decided to do something. "You will stop fighting." He said, waving his hand.

They immediately stopped, and said. "We will stop fighting."

Jack blinked. "You go about your business."

"We'll go about our business."

"Move along."

"We'll move along." They then walked off as if nothing happened.

"Un-fuckin'-believable.." Drew shook his head in fascination. "You can get into peoples' _minds_ and shit? How crazy is _that_? It's like you could make anyone do _anything_.. Right?"

Jack stopped, Kyle looked at him with a slightly nervous expression. Jack's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah. But I am not using that." He said quickly.

"But what if someone evil or something had access to such a thing.." Bebe brought up. "Scary thought.."

Drew looked down and absorbed all of this information. That was _certainly_ a very good point..

Kyle's expression didn't go unnoticed. Drew quickly had to wave away the negative atmosphere of 'what ifs'.

"But luckily Jack isn't an evil person.. So he wouldn't use that shit to manipulate others for evil, or for _himself_.." Drew stated.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that." He said seriously.

Kyle relaxed a tiny bit, but you could easily tell he was still nervous.

Drew decided to change the subject to something else and take away from the topic.

"How much farther is this place?" Drew decided to ask. "I've heard it's like a few blocks down from City Wok, right?"

Jack nodded, though he still seemed a bit distracted.

He took a deep breath, before saying. "You guys go on ahead. We'll meet you there."

Drew and Bebe looked at each other with slight curiosity and concern, but decided against prying. They both nodded and began to continue their way to the restaurant.

As they left, Jack turned to Kyle, who looked at him with an expression that tore into his soul. Kyle looked at him with fear.

Jack took a deep breath, and said softly. "I promise, Kyle, I would _never_ do anything to hurt you."

Kyle looked at him, conflicted. For the first time, he was genuinely worried. Scared even. Jack hadn't shown _any_ signs that he would do... _that_ , but just the idea that he had the power to, if he wanted…

He looked away, and sighed.

"I know, I'm just being stupid."

"No." Jack said suddenly.

Kyle looked at him in slight surprise.

"You're being completely reasonable. I...don't blame you." Jack said softly. He took a deep breath, and said. "I know it sounds cheesy, but I could never hurt someone I love so much."

He then added. "But...if you're not comfortable, and you don't want to do this, then I won't force you. I love you too much to force you to do _anything_ you don't want to do. Even if I have to let you go..."

Kyle's eyes widened when he said that.

"And I promise, that if I do stay with you, I will always protect you. I will always be there for you, no matter what. Whatever you want, it's yours. If you want me to put down the lightsaber and throw the replicator into the ocean, then I will. I...could never hurt you."

Kyle looked at him for a second. This time, he could detect _something_ in Jack's words. It was almost as if he could sense that Jack meant every word.

And, as had happened at Disneyland, he believed every word of it. He walked forward, and hugged Jack. Jack, after a brief moment, returned the hug, before Kyle finally said. "I...think we've kept Drew and Bebe waiting long enough." He chuckled.

When they reached the restaurant, they saw Bebe and Drew waiting outside.

"There they are.." Bebe said to Drew, looking behind her and seeing them. When Jack and Kyle finally walked up to them, Drew added,

"It was a ten minute wait.. We should be sitting down any minute now."

Kyle said, a lot more cheerfully now, "Cool."

"It's not as busy as I thought it would be." Jack observed.

After a few moments, the hostess led them to their table, and as they looked over the menu, Jack asked. "You guys want anything from the Replicator sometime? I mean, we could pretty much get anything we want."

Drew began to look down, as if thinking deep. He thought firstly of his newfound power and his Blades of Chaos. Sure, he was even more powerful than he was before, but it was a _curse_! He would _never_ be able to remove them! He was chained forever, _never_ to return to how he once was. And it all came from the Replicator!

He then began to think of his UFC career. Drew had trained his _whole_ life to become the best in the _world_ at hand to hand fighting! And now, all those years of training? _Wasted_! He couldn't compete in UFC anymore, _could_ he?

I mean, one solid punch could accidentally _kill_ his opponent now! He didn't want that at _all_! He just wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming a UFC world champion! But now, one slip up, and he could end up _killing_ someone..

This caused Drew to attain a slightly angered, yet saddened expression. He was evidently upset about the whole thing, but tried to hide it.

"No.." Bebe answered Jack's question with a friendly and thankful smile. "I'll be alright, thank you.."

It was at that moment Bebe and everyone else noticed Drew's change in demeanor, as well as his silence..

"Drew?" Bebe softly asked. "You okay, babe?.."

Drew stayed silent. It appeared he was still very deep in thought, simply trying to fully see the reality of this whole situation.

Jack took a deep breath, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Jack.." Bebe said, standing to her feet and getting closer to Drew. "Drew? What's wrong?.."

This time, Drew snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her. He forced a grin, but it immediately faded. Drew sighed and shook his head, still unable to really say anything.

However, after a few more seconds, Drew _did_ manage to say,

"I- I don't wanna talk about it.." He immediately exhaled deeply and added on, "Well.. I guess… It's just not fair!" Drew said this rather loudly, which drew some attention towards them temporarily from everyone in the restaurant.

Drew noticed this and tried his best to be more quiet as they looked away.

"It's just- What the fuck am I gonna do in life _now_?.. What will I _do_ with my life? I can't fight in UFC anymore. Not with this new strength.. It's- It's too dangerous! I could _kill_ someone!"

Drew felt a tear fall from his eye, which he immediately wiped away.

"My biggest dream in life.. Something I trained _so_ many years for! Something that kept me _sane_ my whole life! It's all _gone_!" Drew sighed once again and finished,

"It's just not fucking _fair_.."

Kyle opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't think of anything to say.

After a short period of silence, Jack said. "It's my fault that happened to you..."

Drew and Bebe looked up, and over at Jack. Jack looked down in slight guilt about the situation.

"Oh, Jack.." Bebe began, not liking how sad everyone seemed to be getting. "It's not your fault.. How could you have known what it would do? You couldn't have known its side effects."

Drew merely stayed silent.

Jack sighed. "I should have at least considered that there could have, and likely, would have been."

Before anyone could reply, Drew slammed his fist down on the table, though not intentionally, very hard. He ended up breaking the entire table, sending it down to the floor, along with their drinks.

Everyone in the restaurant gasped, and Drew looked down at the table's remains.

' _Just like I fucking THOUGHT would happen..'_ Drew angrily thought to himself.

He huffed and stood up from his chair.

"I.. I gotta go.." Drew abruptly said, storming out of the restaurant. It looked _painfully_ obvious that Drew didn't wanna stay there around everybody else in there.. He was trying to keep his emotions concealed away from everyone else.

Jack looked down for a second, before he got up and followed Drew, without a word.

Bebe looked on in absolute shock. She appeared almost _frozen_! After a bit of silence, she sighed and looked down in sadness.

"I feel so bad for Drew, Kyle.." Bebe admitted. "I… I just _hate_ seeing him this upset! He did _everything_ to help me when _I_ needed it, but now when he needs me, I just.. I don't know what to _do_.."

Bebe felt a tear come to her eye and she finished,

"I'm a _terrible_ girlfriend.. I can't even be there for him properly.. I feel _awful_.."

"No, you're not! You're doing the best you can." Kyle said firmly. "None of us could see the Replicator coming, but I can see that you care about Drew. I know he can see that too."

Bebe nodded slightly and said,

"I hope so.. I just want him to be happy. He's told me a _lot_ about when he was growing up.. He just-" Bebe shook her head. "He _only_ deserves the best things in life.."

Kyle nodded, before looking down. "Did I tell you what made me love Jack in the first place?"

Bebe shook her head and simply listened on.

"I...had a nightmare while we were at Disneyland...It was about this... _horrible_ thing that happened to me. All the pain was fresh in my mind, even years after it happened. And...when I woke up, Jack...was there for me. He held me. He didn't ask any questions. He just made sure I was alright. He didn't judge me. He was there for me, when I needed someone the most. I knew he loved me in that moment, and I love him."

He looked her in the eyes. "Bebe, I _know_ you and Drew have the same kind of connection. He cares about you. As I know you care about him."

Bebe looked down, this time with a slight grin of hope. She felt a tear come to her eye, and she replied,

"That's.. That's _beautiful_ , Kyle.. I know Drew feels the same way for me, that Jack does for you.. I just-" Bebe sighed. "I just never seem to feel my job is done.. Even when it is." She then gave a genuine smile and finished,

"Thank you, Kyle.. I really needed that."

Kyle smiled and nodded. "Why don't we make sure those two are alright?" He suggested.

Bebe returned the smile and nodded in agreement.

As they got up to leave, Kyle asked her. "What were you implying when you said "You _men_ " to Jack and Drew?" He asked with a slight grin.

Bebe rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"You know how most boys are.." She said. "They always like to mess around.. Whether it's watching sports, fixing a car, or messing with a Replicator." She ended with a chuckle.

"Ahem." Kyle said overdramatically.

"Key word: _most_.." Bebe pointed out, still with a smirk on her face. "Well, then again.." She added, teasing, "You _are_ kinda the girl of the relationship, aren't you?"

Kyle's eyes widened. "I am not!" He said, a little too shrilly, before he realized that he was kind of confirming Bebe's joke. "God damn it." He muttered.

"Come on.." Bebe said. "Let's go find those two. I gotta make sure Drew's still okay.."

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Alex had decided to take a walk into the town centre. He decided that he needed some time to be alone to successfully absorb and reflect that day's events. Not only was he introduced to a device that could fabricate items that would enable him to carry out childhood fantasies such as being a superhero, this device literally allowed him to inherit the power of Thor.

And since the replicator apparently acknowledge the canonical details of fictional items such as Mjølnir, it was evident that he was worthy to wield it, otherwise he wouldn't be casually holding it in its umbrella disguise. He also made a new feline friend in the form of Simba the lion Prince. While the circumstance in which they met was unfortunate, he was glad that he and his friends could inspire hope in his heart.

As he reflected on the events, he saw Drew and Jack conversing down the street outside a Japanese restaurant. He didn't want to disturb their chat, and only when they took a break in their conversation, which concerned Drew's Blades of Chaos, which he saw as a curse, did he make his presence known.

"Uh, hello guys," he quietly said.

Jack turned to Alex, and sighed. "Hey." He seemed very sullen.

"Why are you holding an umbrella? It's not supposed to rain tonight," Jack then asked.

"Oh, that reminds me; could you hold this?" Alex asked, handing the umbrella to Jack, who found that he couldn't support the umbrella with his own default strength.

Jack looked at Alex with a cocked brow.

"Well, you said to keep our replicated objects hidden," Alex said, shrugging his shoulders. He picked the umbrella up again.

"So… how is your double date going?" he questioned.

Drew's angered, yet saddened expression from earlier still remained. Jack had been trying to get Drew to open up a bit more so they can find some sort of a solution, but Drew refused. He was just too distraught right now.

"I slammed my fist through a table and broke it. That's how it went.." Drew replied in a frustrated tone.

He wasn't mad at Alex, nor Jack, or anyone really. He was just seeing the full effect of the Blades of Chaos and how they were affecting his life, and was really pissed off, as well as very hurt.

"I'm sorry about that, but you being all depressed after you make a mistake won't make it easier. I understand that it basically makes you ineligible to fight in UFC, but you shouldn't let your power define who you are or who you want to be and how you want to live your life. You must at least try to adapt your actions if UFC is what your heart desires, but of course, there would be no fun in simply defeating an opponent by slapping them," Alex said, hoping that he had said the right words to help Drew. He was always concerned that his comments could be misinterpreted or misconstrued.

It seemed his concern would ring true. As Drew looked down in sadness.

"Y- You're right.." Drew said in response. Alex and Jack began to sense a little hope, before Drew added, "What is fun beating an opponent who can barely stand a chance? How could I ever _lose_? What _fun_ would that ever be for me, anymore!?.." Drew sighed and finished,

"The one thing that helped me through my horrible childhood.. And I can't even compete in its most _major_ event.. All that time I spent training for it. All fucking _wasted_! Why did I ever agree to use that fucking thing!?"

It seemed now Drew was in the anger stage of his grief, losing what he saw as his very purpose in life. He seemed to be blaming the Replicator now.

"Drew, it doesn't make life any more enjoyable if you let the bad things define your future. You can still be known more than the guy with blades stuck to his arm," Alex said.

"How _can't_ I?" Drew roughly asked Alex. He wasn't angry with him, but he was still very frustrated. "I just scored a deal with the _biggest_ fighting promotion ever! I trained my _whole_ life to accomplish this _one_ thing! It was my _biggest_ dream in life. It was-"

Drew cut himself off, trying not to choke up.

"It was… something I _promised_ to my dying sister, Kenzi.. I promised her I wouldn't be weak any longer, and that I would prove that we _both_ were capable of _so_ much more than that _fucker_ told us we were!" Drew finished, referring to his father.

Alex sighed. "There are more ways to give you identity, solace and content than one thing. My father dreamed of being a football player, but when his career was ended before it began, he did not give up on his life. He pursued the same industry but a different role, and he became a coach. What I learned from him was that we are not doomed to succeed in one area, nor are we doomed to fail in many, but we always have a choice as to what we can do. Unfortunate things happen to good people, but the good people do not cease to pursue identity, whatever it is," he said.

Drew looked down, taking in Alex's words. All he could do was sigh with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I…" Drew began, pausing for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out what to say. "Can we just head back to the house?.. It's been a long night.."

"Sure. I should have worn a jacket," Alex conceded, finding the cold air punishing his choice of wearing a mere long-sleeve shirt over a t-shirt.

Jack nodded, before stopping. "Wait, what about Bebe and Kyle? Shouldn't we-"

As if on cue, the pair finally arrived. Both had a look of concern on their faces.

That immediately got an expression of guilt from Drew, who looked down shamefully.

"I guess I should go in there and pay for that broken table.." Drew said, as he began to make his way back towards the entrance.

Jack stopped him. "No...it was my fault. I found the Replicator. I'll pay for it."

"No, Jack.." Drew responded. " _I_ punched the table. _I_ flipped out.. It's my doing. Besides, I have over a hundred grand anyways.. Just gotta be careful with how I spend it before I run out.." Drew practically whispered that last sentence.

Jack sighed, and just nodded. "Still, are you sure we can't all just...watch a movie or something? Maybe something like that could help with this?"

Drew looked like he was about to protest, before Bebe walked up to him and softly put her hand on his cheek. This took him slightly by surprise, and he slightly gasped.

"It's okay, Drew.. I'm not mad you broke the table. We can _still_ have a fun date night." Bebe said with a reassuring grin. "It's not your fault. I can tell how much this is affecting you.. And it's _okay_." Bebe then wrapped Drew in a hug, catching him off guard once again.

"Because I'll be there with you _every_ step of the way.." She finished. Drew finally returned the embrace after a couple seconds, tears actually beginning to roll down his face. Of course, he tried wiping them away the best he could, because he didn't want to appear 'weak'.

"I.." Drew began, holding Bebe's hands. Before it seemed like Drew was gonna continue, he caught _Bebe_ off guard this time when he pressed his lips against hers.

This continued for a good few seconds, before they pulled apart. They both now looked each other in the eye. It was at _that_ point that they knew.. They _knew_ , that their love was real.

Once their trance was finally broken, Drew and Bebe looked over to see Jack, Kyle, and Alex all grinning at them.

"Oh, what now?" Drew asked, flushing red a little bit. It seemed he had forgotten that they were even _there_ for a bit.

Bebe blushed slightly as well, but couldn't help but smile. She didn't really care. It was a moment that would stick with them forever.

"I.." Drew began with a nervous chuckle. "G- Guess I'll go pay for that table.. now- Yeah." He quickly entered the restaurant, seemingly embarrassed at doing that in front of everyone. Normally he was _very_ reserved, and didn't let his personal life be so public very often.

Bebe rolled her eyes with a smirk. She knew about this already, but she didn't mind. She loved him just the same.. As a matter a fact, his personality was one of the things that caused her to _fall_ for him in the first place.

It made her love him _even_ more..

As Drew headed off to pay for the table, Jack had to smile a bit. "You two are obviously meant for each other." He commented, only half joking.

"Yes, we are.." Bebe replied with a smile, looking towards the restaurant where he just entered with googly eyes. "I'm so glad, and _so_ lucky that I met him. He's _way_ better than-"

Bebe stopped with a look of disgust. She clearly didn't even wanna say his _name_.

Kyle piped up. "Forget about that asshole. He doesn't matter. Focus on you and _Drew_ , now."

Bebe nodded in full agreement, her disgust still not completely worn off yet.

"Couldn't agree more." Bebe responded.

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After the five friends made it back to Jack's house, they immediately sat down in the living room and tried to pick a movie to watch. Simba and Rexy were glad to see them return.

A couple wanted a romantic film, others despised that idea and wanted an action movie. After a few minutes of argument, everyone finally settled on Jaws.

They were all having a good time to say the least. They ate some Chinese food Jack ordered with Postmates, they talked among each other during appropriate moments, and they were overall just having fun hanging out together.

It seemed as though that night would be a _perfect_ end to-

"Get back here!" Someone screamed incredibly loud. It sounded like it was coming from outside, and even still it travelled clearly through the windows. Everyone in the room jumped in surprise and Jack paused the movie.

"What the fuck!?" Drew yelled in shock, holding onto Bebe who scooted closer to him.

"Where _was_ that?" Bebe added.

Jack looked out the window, and he blinked. Um…

There was _nothing_ out there.. It was dead silent..

Jack cocked a brow, as did everyone else in the room.

"Strange.." Jack muttered.

It was silent for a couple more seconds, before a bright blue flash and a loud banging sound scared everyone in the room shitless! This very weird looking man pressed himself up against the glass window, smiling in a creepy manner. He had long brown hair, a peach fuzz mustache, had pale white skin, was somewhat skinny, and basically looked like someone you would keep your children away from at all times. He was probably about 19 years old, but he looked as if he was in his thirties to the average person..

"I think the local homeless person has breached the perimeter of the property. If we stay still, he might go. His vision might be based on movement," Kyle commented.

Jack looked at him with a cocked brow. "What?" Kyle asked.

Alex got up and carefully walked toward the window.

"Hello, sir, can we help you?" he asked.

The strange man began to speak. His voice was muffled by the window, but was still clearly heard.

"Hey, what do you call a black man with half a brain?"

Alex sighed, preparing to endure a controversial punchline. By the look in his eyes, the man wanted him to reply.

"What _do_ you call one who is black and has 'half a brain'?" he reluctantly responded.

"Gifted!" The creepy man replied. He laughed rather autistically and waited for everyone else in the room to laugh along with him.

Everyone instead gave him a glare, not laughing at his unfunny joke.

Alex rolled his eyes and asked, "If you're just going to stand there and tell awful jokes, then could you kindly piss off?"

Jack sighed. "Permission to use the lightsaber as a solution to our current problem?" He asked.

Before anyone could reply, the creepy man introduced,

"I'm Umberto. Oh by the way, have you seen a sexy lioness walk by here? She's with an also sexy newborn cub? I need to find them.." Umberto ended with another creepy smile.

Alex cocked a brow. "I'm sorry, what? I'm not sure if I want to know any more about your… preferences," he said.

Umberto glanced further in through the window, and gasped in delight when he saw Simba.

"That, uh… that cub over there. Is he, uh, for sale?" Umberto asked.

Drew stood up now and stood directly in front of the window, aggressively warning,

Jack began to clench his fists.

"Get the fuck outta here, you _freak_! If you touch Simba, or _anyone_ near this house, I'll kick your fucking ass!" He then motioned to Jack. "He will probably be even worse."

"Uh… can I at least, like, say hello to him? I've always wanted to pet a lion cub," Umberto stuttered, trying to sound innocent, but because of his first impression on them, they would not be swayed.

"I'll tell you what you can do: Fuck off!" Alex said slightly aggressively.

The sudden sounds of mews nearby caught everyone's attention. It was coming from a bush in the backyard.

"Mew. Mew!" It said.

It sounded _very_ much like a cat meowing, but a bit different..

Umberto turned around with his trademark creepy smile, this time even wider.

"Oh, _Nzuri_!" Umberto shouted with lust in his voice. "Mmm.. You can stop hiding now, sexy.. No need to play these games."

A light brown lioness immediately stepped out of the bushes, with a golden brown lioness cub in her mouth. The cub had light blue eyes, while the full grown lioness had greenish ones.

The lioness known as Nzuri gasped in fear and began to back up, wide eyed.

"N- _No_!" She shouted, the newborn cub muffling her speech a bit. "Stay _away_!"

Umberto began to slink his way closer, his eyes seeing their target. His creepy smile never seemed to fade. In fact, it seemed to grow _wider_ the closer he got to Nzuri.

Nzuri looked absolutely _terrified_. She was just _begging_ for someone to help her.

Alex turned to Drew and Jack. "We can't let him get to them. I don't like to imagine what he's going to do to them, but I can tell you that it is far from pretty," he said as he summoned Mjølnir to his hand.

Jack nodded, and activated his lightsaber as he walked out.

Drew reached behind his back, feeling the now sheathed Blades Of Chaos. It was as if he were debating on even using them. However, after hearing another scream from the lioness, Nzuri, Drew narrowed his eyes and unsheathed the Blades. He gave one final look to Bebe and Kyle and told them,

"Stay inside.. This man is obviously a _lunatic_. He won't be getting to you two.." Drew then looked at Simba and Rexy, who were shaking in fear over the man.

"And _especially_ you two.. Stay inside." When he made sure they all understood, he followed Jack and Alex outside.

As they entered the yard, Jack said dangerously. "I'm warning you. Get the fuck out of here or things will get unfortunate for you."

This time, Umberto started getting aggressive,

"Our love is _real_! She's just- She's just playing hard to get! That's all! She _loves_ to play that game with me.."

"Sounds like it," Alex said sarcastically.

"Why don't you just let me be? I'm not hurting you, but if you stand between me and her, then I'll be forced to kill you," Umberto added.

Jack blinked. "Oh please."

He responded by raising his lightsaber, and beginning to walk forward.

"Guys, we're making it harder than it needs to be," Alex said while spinning the hammer to gain momentum. He then threw it at Umberto, but before it could strike him, a large blue flash preceded the weirdo disappearing in thin air.

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me right now..?" Drew whispered to himself, getting frustrated.

"This makes things… interesting," Alex understated as he summoned his hammer.

Jack nodded, and he commented. "Well, let's find the ugly bastard."

Drew quickly glanced over at Nzuri and the lioness cub she had in her mouth. She was breathing heavily, as if scarred from this experience. Drew's face softened and he quickly approached them.

"Are you oka-"

Suddenly, before Drew could finish his sentence, they saw another flash about fifty yards behind her. Umberto seemed to throw something towards them, and a small blue light appeared before Jack's feet. Before he could react, the light became a hole that Jack fell through. Umberto threw another light that spawned a hole above where the other portal had appeared, and from there, Jack screamed as he fell. And just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into the other hole, and this continued in a cycle that saw Jack fall at an increasing amount of speed.

And then Umberto threw some sort of blue disc at Alex. Suddenly, just before it hit him, it enlarged tenfold and engulfed Alex and he disappeared entirely.

Drew immediately gripped the Blades Of Chaos tightly in his hands, gritting his teeth in anger. He stared at Umberto with an increasingly building rage. Rather than plotting out some sort of strategic attack, Drew charged forward and attempted to slice Umberto into many pieces.

However, to Drew's surprise, just before the Blades were sure to connect with his flesh, Umberto disappeared instantaneously. Drew felt a tap on his shoulder and gasped slightly. When he turned around, he saw the creepy smile of Umberto, before he was thumped on the forehead, which caused an annoying pain in that small area. He had clearly only done that to piss him off, which worked.

Drew growled and swung his Blades wildly in Umberto's direction. However, Umberto merely teleported again. This continued for close to a minute, before finally, Drew grew a bit tired. As he stopped to take a small breather, his mind finally began to reveal how stupid his blind attacks truly were.

' _I should've come up with some sort of PLAN!'_ Drew thought in anger.

Before anything else could happen, Drew heard the scream of Nzuri. He gasped in looked in her direction, to see that Umberto had her cornered. He had teleported over to her when he had gotten tired and was _distracted_!

"That _fucker_!.." Drew yelled, still slightly out of breath.

Before he could try in vain to run to protect Nzuri from that creepy bastard, his attention was earned by a long streak of light that seemed to come from the moon. It grew closer by the second, until he could see that it was more than a mere white light, but a combination of many bright colours such as blue, red, green and gold. Soon enough, it hit the ground with a massive thud, causing Umberto to fall onto his ass and Drew to momentarily lose his balance. It remained there for a few seconds, and when it disappeared, he gasped at what, no, _who_ he could see…

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Alex opened his eyes, and saw nothingness. Then his eyes adjusted. He expected to be in some sort of basement. Had that lunatic sent him to his dark room to be some sort of slave? This idea was dismissed when he could see nothing more than lights in the distance. However, when he tried to inhale air, he found that he couldn't. There was nothing for his lungs to take in.

Before he could panic, he saw a long streak of light hurtling towards him. He clenched his eyes, awaiting immense pain or death. However, neither of those hose came to pass.

Before, he had felt cold and surrounded by nothingness. But when the light hit him, he felt embraced by warmth and colour. He could tell that he was moving, but as if moving in a car. He didn't feel like he was moving at the speed he was, but he was hurtling through the universe at a tremendous pace.

Before he could think any longer, he found himself standing in a room of gold, and before him stood a tall man of black skin, orange eyes and ornate golden armour. The room resembled an observatory.

Alex's observations were interrupted by the voice of the man, who was wielding a sword that was inserted in a device.

"Welcome, Alexander, son of Christian, to Asgard," he said in a deep voice with a heavy tone.

"A-Asgard? You mean, the home of Odin and Thor?" Alex asked, thoroughly excited at the prospect of meeting the God of Thunder, the one whose power he currently possessed. Then he remembered what was happening before he was teleported to space by Umberto.

"You are troubled by the conflict from which you were extracted. Fear not, for time is relative. For every second that passes on Earth, one hour passes on Asgard. You are to meet Odin Borson to discuss the remarkable nature of your worthyship," the man said.

"My name is Heimdall, by the way," he added.

"Nice to meet you, Heimdall," Alex replied with a smile.

"Likewise," was Heimdall's response.

Alex waited for several minutes until he heard the hooves of the legendary eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, the steed of Odin. Alex was amazed, not only at the sight of the majestic creature, but at the fact that his presence warranted the summoning of Odin. This was an honour known to very few, if any other person on Earth.

"Alexander Pearson. As you are well aware, you have inherited the power of Thor by circumstance unheard of. Your friend's replicator fabricated a version of Mjølnir that was apparently enchanted. If someone who wielded that hammer was worthy to possess the power of Thor, then that should happen. In these unique circumstances, however the enchantment was implemented, you were obviously worthy," Odin spoke with his mighty voice.

"However, it is here and only here where you can be taught to use the hammer effectively, and here you will remain for 48 hours while 48 seconds will have passed on Earth," the King of Asgard added.

"Great! Let's get started."

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 _48 HOURS LATER_

"Alas, your short while with us has come to an end," said a tall blond-haired man bearing a hammer that matched Alex.

"It was a pleasure to teach you the ways of combat and worthyship. I have faith that you are a fine candidate to protect the people and values of Earth," he added.

"I am glad I have earned your faith, Thor. Never will I forget what you and your father taught me," Alex promised.

Thor smiled and said, "Well, this is farewell. Go now and defeat that… strange man," Thor cocked a brow, still wondering why someone would want to do what was described to him by Alex to a member of a different species than one's own.

Alex stood in front of the Bifrost. He nodded to Heimdall, who activated it and Alex was then transported back to Earth, determined to serve his home and fight in the name of freedom.

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Drew gasped when he saw Alex emerge from the Bifrost, sporting a magnificent suit of Asgardian armor with a great red cape flowing behind him.

Drew would've questioned it under normal circumstances, but right now he decided that right now he had more important things to be worrying about.

Umberto looked to Drew, then to Alex. He kept shifting his gaze back and forth in a slight panic, but even still, he kept that creepy grin plastered on his face. He rubbed a crying Nzuri's back as he said,

"You'll never tear us apart! We were _made_ for each other. She _loves_ me!" His hand began to go lower and lower down her back, which caused her to cry even louder. This now caused the newborn lioness cub she held in her mouth to cry as well, not knowing what was going on.

Drew growled and gripped the Blades Of Chaos tightly, ready to slice Umberto into pieces.

"Get your hand _off_ of her and get _away_ from them! I'll fucking _kill_ you!" Drew yelled in anger.

Umberto could only laugh in an annoying, high pitched way, and reply,

"I highly doubt that.. You're too slow, you roided up jock! You will _never_ separate me and my love, Nzuri!" Umberto turned to Alex and pointed at him. "And neither will _you_ , British guy!"

Alex rolled his eyes and muttered,

"How fucking original.."

Umberto looked like he was about to continue, but unknown to him, Jack was still stuck in a portal loop.. Waiting…

Then, he _saw_ it!

The opportune time and opening!

Using up a great amount of energy, he managed to use the Force to pull himself extremely quick out of the loop, and back onto stable territory. He used the biggest and strongest tree in his backyard, which caused it to almost completely uproot. It only hung on by a thread.

Everyone looked over in the tree's direction, but by the time Umberto could react, it was too late..

Jack used the Force almost immediately to Force choke Umberto. He was lifted off the ground, gasping for breath, and was quickly hurled in Alex's direction.

Alex prepared to throw Mjølnir towards Umberto, not intending to kill him, but to trap him under its weight. He waited until Umberto's flailing arms were within range, and he threw the mighty hammer towards his enemy's left hand, and such was the force with which it was thrown, Umberto flew away with his hand attached to the leather grip and landed on the floor about twenty yards away with a thud.

When Umberto tried to lift the hammer, he found that it was _impossibly_ heavy. It would not move a millimetre. He felt himself sink into the mud under his own force. He then heard the three running towards them, and before he could unravel his hand from the handle, he found himself being hung in the air.

Drew held the squirming Umberto up by the shirt with trivial ease. He lifted him up to where his eyes were making contact with his. Umberto could instantly see the pure rage, guilt, sadness, and just.. _everything_ in his eyes with just a one second glare. It shook Umberto to the core, who now began to fear for his life.

He was outsmarted by Jack, outmatched by Alex, and now, he was being outmuscled by Drew. This combination was an utterly _terrifying_ one for Umberto..

Drew lifted one of the Blades Of Chaos' daggers in his right hand, and up to Umberto's neck. Umberto trembled, closed his eyes and whimpered, utterly scared out of his mind. As Drew prepared to decapitate Umberto, he looked into his fearful eyes.

It reminded him, once more, of his mother and sister's eyes when he was young.. His father had _never_ given them a second chance.. He never gave them _anything_.. Sure, Umberto was a psychopath and a crazed lioness rape fantasist. But there was just _something_ that told Drew not to go through with it..

After much internal debate, Drew sheathed his dagger, and instead turned Umberto around. Before Umberto could react, Drew wrapped his arm around his neck, locking him in a rear naked choke. Umberto gasped for breath, but wasn't able to escape. He struggled, he tried to pry Drew's arms away, and he even tried punching him.. But it was to no avail..

After around 10 seconds, Umberto went limp, and he fell unconscious. Drew immediately let go of the choke and let him fall to the ground. The only reason it hadn't killed Umberto and broke his neck, was because he held back _so_ much. If he had gone full force… There wouldn't be much of Umberto left..

Drew simply stood there in silence, looking at Umberto's unconscious body. For some reason, he still had somewhat of a creepy grin on his face, which gave everyone present the creeps..

But it was over now. Umberto was defeated, and he wouldn't be causing anything for a good while..

"Not what I expected to happen this evening. You start watching Jaws, then a weirdo comes up with some sort of teleporting device, then you get ejected to Asgard. Oh, yeah, did I tell you I spent two days in Asgard?" Alex asked.

Jack shook his head.

"There's _definitely_ a lot of questions, here.. But they'll all be answered soon enough." He grinned slightly and added, "Should we make sure these two are okay?" Jack motioned to Nzuri and the cub.

Drew nodded and followed Jack over towards the lioness and newborn cub.

Before Alex could follow them, his attention was earned by a blue glow that came from the pocket of Umberto's trousers. He leaned down to inspect it, and found that whatever was in the pocket was extremely warm. He carefully extracted the object from the pocket, and in his hand was a light blue crystal.

"Interesting…" Alex muttered before walking towards where Jack and Drew were.

Nzuri gasped and backed up in fear. Her heart was beating overwhelmingly fast, and her eyes were widened. She wanted to run, but she froze. She was just too terrified to do anything.

Nzuri closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate. This caused Drew, Alex, and Jack to look among each other in momentary confusion, before realizing what it must be about.

"It's okay.." Drew began, his voice softer than it's been in a long time. "We're not gonna hurt you guys.. You're _safe_ now. That _freak_ can't hurt you anymore." Drew finished with a reassuring grin.

Nzuri looked up at Drew, and then at Alex and Jack. She looked _very_ uncertain and almost unwilling to believe him.

"Y- You're just gonna take advantage of me! L- Like _he_ almost did!" Nzuri yelled in denial. "You- You humans are _evil_! Y- You act like you're our friend, and then-" Nzuri cut herself off, collapsing to the ground in tears. She made sure to set the cub down safely, but still, her tears were uncontrollable. Surely whatever Umberto did, or _tried_ to do to her was absolutely _abysmal_..

Alex gently set his hammer down and lowered his body to Nzuri. He said in a voice as gentle as the wind that blew around them.

"We can assure you that no harm will come to you. Not by his hand, nor by anyone. For every human who would rather harm you, there are many who will always protect you."

"He was just a _lunatic_." Jack added, trying his best to reassure Nzuri. "I _promise_ you that while there _are_ some humans like that, there is a _majority_ of them who are the kindest and most _genuine_ of people.."

Nzuri's expression began to soften a _little_ bit. She still wasn't fully convinced, but they hadn't tried anything that Umberto had yet. Surely if they meant harm, they'd have done it already..

Nzuri's eyes made contact with Drew's who once again began to speak,

" _No_ harm will come to you, _or_ to that cub.. I _know_ what true evil is like.. My father treated me and my family like absolute _filth_.. To this _very_ day, even after all he's done, he _still_ continues to walk free. But y'know what?"

Nzuri looked at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. It seemed she was invested and somewhat moved by what he was saying so far.

"I made a _promise_ to my now late mother and sister, that I would _not_ make the same mistakes _he_ did! I would be _better_ than him! I would _protect_ those who deserved it, and be more of a man than that bastard _ever_ was or could be! And I _mean_ that.." Drew knelt down alongside Alex, and set a comforting hand on Nzuri.

Nzuri flinched at first, but still allowed it. She was still _very_ on guard.

"You and this cub are _safe_ here, Nzuri.." Drew said with a reassuring smile. "At least, I think that's your name?"

Nzuri looked down in thought and finally relented. Her tears dried up slightly and she nodded.

"Y- Yes.." Nzuri replied. "That is my name.." She waited a few seconds, before deciding to ask,

"What is yours?"

Drew stood up, as did Alex.

"I'm Drew.." Drew introduced. He then motioned to Alex and Jack, waiting for them to introduce themselves too.

"My name is Jack." Jack said with a nod.

"And my name is Alex," Alex said with a smile.

Drew kept his smile, and he said,

"It's nice to meet you.. Just know you and the little one are safe here. That fucker isn't gonna get to you _anymore_.."

Nzuri then smiled for the first time since she had been here and replied,

"Th- Thank you.. W- We are in your debt."

"Don't worry about that." Jack said with dismissal. "We're just glad that we could help you get away from that lunatic!"

As they looked in Umberto's general direction in remembrance, they gasped in shock to see that he was _gone_!

Nzuri _immediately_ tensed up and started to freak out. She picked up the cub and looked like she wanted to run.

Everyone looked among themselves, as if wondering what the hell they should do. Out of pure instinct and pressure, Drew was the first one to speak.

"I can bring Nzuri and the cub to my apartment. They'll be safe there! That _fucker_ won't think to look in that part of town. But we gotta _hurry_!"

Nzuri looked in all directions in a panic, as if internally trying to think of her best move. Making a quick decision, she decided to trust Drew and follow him to this 'apartment' he spoke of. She assumed it was a lot like a den, but for humans.

Drew, Jack, and Alex rushed into the house where Kyle and Bebe looked in shock. They had saw the whole thing through the window, but didn't hear what all was said.

"Jack! What is going o-" Kyle began, before Jack cut him off.

"That fucking creepy psycho disappeared! There's no _telling_ what else he has up his sleeves.. Our first course of action is to get Nzuri, this cub, and _you_ guys to safety."

"Bebe," Drew began. "I'll take you home. Nzuri and the cub will stay with me. He won't go there. If you wanna stay over at my place and you it'd be safer, that's okay too.. But we gotta make it _fast_! We don't want Umberto to make some other unexplainable or.. kinda fucked up move or something. We gotta go!"

Drew, Jack, and Alex were clearly in a rush, so things were moving fast. It wasn't that they feared Umberto, it was that they didn't trust his rather unpredictable nature.. Who _knows_ what else he had besides that strange blue stone..

"Kyle, you'll be safe here.." Jack told him.

"I'll keep the blue crystal thing with me." Alex told everyone. "That creep won't be getting this back."

"Okay, let's head out." Drew told Bebe and Nzuri.

Bebe saw that this was a serious matter, so she didn't question it.

"I.. think it'd be safer at your house." Bebe told Drew. "Let me text Mom."

Drew nodded as he made sure Nzuri got in the backseat of his cheap vehicle. He hasn't been a rich man for long, so he hadn't had time to buy a newer vehicle quite yet.

"Bit of a tight squeeze," Nzuri commented, but then remembered that this contraption wasn't designed for transporting lions.

"Yeah, it's no Rolls Royce.." Drew replied.

Nzuri cocked a brow.

"What's a 'Rolls Royce'? Is it like this thing?" Nzuri asked, referring to the car. Drew sighed and with a slight grin replied,

"Nevermind.."

Once it was settled, Drew sped off before Umberto could recover and potentially track their direction. Alex left not long after, making perfectly sure that the stone would be concealed and protected.

The question on everyone's mind was this: would Umberto return?


	5. Chapter 4, Promise

Jack leaned back a bit, flipping channels. Kyle was next to him, and Drew and Bebe were on the other couch. It was a friday night, and everyone else was pretty busy, so they decided to hang out. Jack, a little hungry, decided to get some food, so he handed the remote to Kyle and walked into the kitchen.

Bebe, who was cuddled up next to Drew, began to look up at him with an expression of slight worry.

"Are you sure Nzuri and the cub will be okay by themselves? You don't think that creepy man can-"

Drew cut her off.

"They'll be fine.." He then gave a reassuring grin and added, "I have _all_ the doors locked, my apartment is practically in the middle of nowhere just outside of town, and best of all, Alex took that stone from that fucker. So he's powerless now."

Drew pulled Bebe in close and finished,

"There's nothing to worry about. I promise.."

Bebe thought about it for a couple seconds, before smiling in return.

"You're right.. I just wouldn't want anything to happen to them. That's all."

Drew nodded. "I understand.."

Bebe sat there in silence for another few seconds, before she spoke again,

"Drew?" Drew looked down at her, waiting for her to continue. Bebe grinned. "I just.. I wanna thank you for letting me stay with you last night.. I felt a lot.. _safer_ when I was with you. Just-" Bebe tried to find the right words, but couldn't.

Instead, she simply ended it simply.

"Thank you.."

Drew smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Anything for you, babe.. It was no problem. In fact, I enjoyed having you over."

Bebe could only smile. The two moved in closer and held each other tight.

This was going to be a good night for sure! Just a group of friends hanging out on a nice winter weekend.

Kyle grinned at the scene. He was happy for the two, and thought they made a really good couple.

As he flipped through the channels, he stopped on one that caught his attention.

"Breaking news report from South Park! I'm your host, Tom, and now, we bring you _live_ to a midget.. in a bikini."

The news report cut to the usual midget in a pink bikini. It was commonplace in South Park news at this point.

Drew began to laugh out loud, however, as he had never seen a South Park news report live before.

"Where do they come up with-" Drew began, before Bebe cut him off.

"Shh.. I wanna hear what it says."

Drew could only stifle a chuckle once more and nod.

"Thanks, Tom.." The midget said. "I'm reporting _live_ just outside South Park High School."

Jack stopped and spared a glance at the TV, while Kyle cocked a brow in curiosity.

"In an unfortunate and _tragic_ turn of events, a local South Park student by the name of Heidi Turner, was assaulted by what was described as two to three assailants.. She was forced to the ground, raped, and then had-" The midget had to cringe slightly, upon reading the graphic details.

"It appears she had… _Bleach_ , shoved _up_ her genitalia and- Oh God!" The midget then began to throw up on camera. "Oh fucking Christ, where do we _find_ these peop-" The midget then realized he was still on the air, and he finished the report.

"So.. y- yes. It appears that the.. _Bleach_ , was to remove any sort of DNA from-" The midget then waved it off, assuming people would get the idea.

Jack's eyes widened, and as if on instinct, his eyes locked on Kyle. For a split second, the redhead was frozen, before the remote fell from his hand, causing a loud crash as it hit the table, and causing both Drew and Bebe to jump in surprise.

Drew stood up to his feet, his gaze shifting from the TV and Kyle. His eyes were widened in absolute shock, horror, and _anger_ at what he had just heard. Bebe's reaction was very similar.

"Jesus _Christ_!" Drew exclaimed, his mind absorbing the graphic detail of what he had just heard.

"Poor Heidi.." Bebe cried, tears flowing down her face. "She didn't deserve this!"

Drew put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, before his attention was once again set on Kyle.

"Kyle?.." Drew said.

Kyle had his hands tangled in his hair, and was hunched over slightly, his eyes squeezed shut. Jack immediately rushed to his side, and pulled the smaller boy into a gentle hug. At that moment, Kyle began to wretch. Not cry, but _weep_.

"Shh...I know...It's...Shh….I'm here." Jack whispered softly as Kyle trembled.

There was a knock on the door, which startled everybody in the room.

Jack didn't even acknowledge it. He just stayed there, trying to comfort Kyle.

Drew walked over to the window to see who it was, keeping his guard _completely_ up. If it was one of those crazy bastards, he would show _no_ mercy! Hell, even if it was a girl scout or something. He would tell them to beat it. Now was _not_ the time!

To his surprise, he saw familiar faces, and his expression softened immediately.

"Kyle.." Drew began. "It's your parents.."

Kyle stopped for a second, and looked up a bit hopefully. They had gotten here very quickly, mostly because their house was only like a block down.

Jack nodded to Drew to let them in.

Drew immediately did so, opening the front door.

The two stood on the porch, expressions of _absolute_ worry plastered on their faces.

"Drew, is Kyle here!?" Sheila Broflovski asked with great concern. It appeared she had no intentions of waiting very long.

Drew merely pointed in Kyle's direction and let them in.

"Over there." Drew answered.

"Oh, Kyle!" Sheila yelled in concern, rushing up and hugging him. "Oh sweetie are you _okay_? We saw the news report, it was just _terrible_!"

"How you holding up, Son?" Gerald asked Kyle with the same level of worry. "Everything alright?"

Kyle nodded slightly, but that was all the acknowledgement they really got. Kyle was literally clinging to a very worried Jack.

Kyle began trembling again. "It's okay." Jack whispered softly. "It's okay. You're safe."

Gerald knelt down, and told Kyle gently,

"If you need _anything_ , just let me or your Mom know, okay? We love you.."

Kyle nodded. "I know dad. I love you too."

Jack asked him. "Do...do you want to go home?" He asked seriously. He wasn't sure if Kyle should be here right now. He should probably be with his family right now.

Kyle looked at him for a moment, before saying softly. "I'd...like to stay here. If that's okay with you."

Gerald seemed to be okay with that, but Sheila crossed her arms in both frustration and worry.

"Kyle, are you _sure_ that's a good idea right now? I mean, what if the memories start rushing back, and you have a _panic_ attack, and me and your father aren't there to help you, and-" Sheila was cut off.

"Honey.." Gerald said, holding onto her hand to calm her down. "It's okay.. Just calm down a bit." Sheila took that time to recover from her worry, fanning herself slightly.

Kyle looked at his mom. "I...just want to stay here with Jack tonight..." He said softly.

Jack was stunned by what Kyle just said. The last thing he wanted was for Kyle to keep hurting, and he wanted to make things better for him, but...he never expected that Kyle would still want to be here with him. Yes, he had comforted him before, but…

Sheila looked like she wanted to interject, but Gerald spoke for her,

"And that's perfectly okay with me, Kyle.. Whatever you're _most_ comfortable with is the best way to go." Gerald spoke with a smile. He looked at Jack and added, "If.. that's okay with _you_ , Jack? It _is_ your house. We can take him home if it's too much trouble."

Jack hesitated, before he shook his head. "It's...fine. I just want to make sure he's alright..."

Sheila sighed and looked at Kyle with slight sadness. She didn't want her 'baby' to go through such a tough time without her being there, because they've literally helped with almost _every_ single one. It was simply hard for her to let go.

"Kyle, I-" Sheila began, before Gerald once again cut her off.

"Let's go, Sheila.. We've bothered these kids long enough.. See you guys. Bye, Kyle."

Sheila looked back as they walked out the door, and she spoke to Kyle,

"I love you, Kyle.. _Promise_ you'll keep me posted."

"I love you too, Mom." Kyle said with a slight smile. With that, Sheila and Gerald closed the door behind them, leaving everyone in silence.

After they left, Kyle began to stop trembling as Jack held him gently. But he was still silent, and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

All Drew could do was simply fall back onto the couch, putting his hands on top of his head, sighing in absolute disgust of the whole situation. He feared for Kyle's mental well being, he feared for Heidi's general safety right now, and he was _pissed_ that those fuckers are still _yet_ to be caught! Not a single _clue_ or anything was found!

Bebe continued to cry, resting her face into Drew's chest. Drew simply held her there in comfort as he continued to absorb the situation as a whole.

His conclusion?

' _This is fucked up..'_ Drew thought.

Jack was silent. His familiar feelings of helplessness and uselessness returning. Kyle had stopped trembling by this point, but was still clinging to Jack.

"We need to stop those fuckers." Jack finally spoke. "If the police can't protect people, we should..."

"How?" Drew questioned, still holding a crying Bebe comfortingly. "We have no evidence or clues to go off of.. How should we go about stopping them?.."

"We can at least try to do something. I know that a single one of us with a weapon could stop them. There...just has to be _something_ we can do." Jack said.

Drew then began to go deep into thought.

' _He's right.. It's just, how would we ever FIND them? There's gotta be a clue SOMEWHERE, right? Anywhere!?'_

Drew's expression then changed to a scowl. He was just so angry that those sick fucks were still able to walk free after what they did to Kyle.. After what they did to Heidi.. After what they did to _all_ of their previous victims!

It was then that a realization struck Drew.. It hit him almost _immediately_!

' _I'm a smart guy.. I could probably solve this case if I wanted to! Hell, that's all I've ever SEEN or known about my whole life if I wasn't in an MMA gym.. I should know more than anybody about criminal activity! I can bring these bastards to justice.. MY justice! I'll show them no mercy just as they've shown none to ANYONE else!'_

Drew internally beamed. A vigilante? That seemed like a far fetched idea.. But then again, did _anything_ in this town make sense to begin with? He figured he should just stop questioning reality here and just go for it..

It was then that Drew realized something else.

' _If I'm gonna be SERIOUS about this whole thing, I'll HAVE to keep my identity a secret! If those close to me or anyone else found out, that'd only put me or them in danger! I'll need to come up with a plan so I can't be traced.. Not exactly easy with these fucking Blades on my arms!'_

Once again, another idea then hit Drew. He internally smirked, and put his plan into effect. He had to execute this _just_ right..

Noticing he had been silent for a good while, Drew decided to respond to Jack's comment, saying,

"You're right, Jack.. These fuckers don't _deserve_ to walk free! Hopefully there's something we can do about it eventually.."

"I doubt it." Kyle said softly. No-one had been able to find anything in the past few years. He doubted it would change now…

"Well-" Drew began, before cutting himself off.

Out of nowhere, he screamed in what sounded like pain, startling everyone in the room. He fell to the floor and continued to scream, holding his arms out.

"Drew!?" Bebe yelled in concern, quickly standing up and rushing to his side.

Drew began having what looked like a seizure and he trembled aggressively. Overall, it was a _very_ frightening and realistic event..

"Drew, _no_!" Bebe yelled, fanning him to cool him off. "It's okay.. You'll be okay!" She was clearly very scared for Drew's wellbeing, and appeared _very_ nervous. This had come practically out of _nowhere_!

Jack and Kyle's eyes widened, and Jack rushed to his side, as did Kyle. "Drew! Stay with us!" Jack said firmly, looking just as concerned.

Before everyone's eyes, one final scream of pain was uttered, before they saw his Blades Of Chaos _completely_ vanish from his arms! His seizure immediately stopped, and he merely laid on the ground, his breathing slightly labored, and sweat appearing slightly on his forehead.

"W- What.. the fuck.. just happened?.." Drew questioned with exhausted looking eyes, seemingly not knowing what was going on.

"B- Babe.. Your Blades. They're-" Bebe began, before cutting herself off and hugging him tightly. "Oh my God, are you _okay_?.. I was worried I was gonna _lose_ you!"

Drew began to come to a bit more, and he returned the embrace.

"It's.. okay, babe.." Drew managed a grin. "I'm okay.." After a slight pause, he added,

"Wh- What about my Blades?.." Before Bebe could reply, Jack responded instead.

"They're...they're gone." Jack said.

"They...just disappeared." Kyle added.

"W- What!?" Drew asked in shock, widening his eyes. He lifted up his arms, and sure enough! They were no longer there.

"What the fuck happened?.." Drew questioned, appearing _very_ confused. Before anyone could reply, he simply sighed and added, "N- Nevermind.. I'm so _exhausted_ now.. I just need to get home and get some sleep."

Bebe attained a serious expression and tone.

"Well if you are, then _I'll_ drive you home.. I'm not gonna let you crash and kill yourself!"

Drew chuckled weakly and replied,

"This is why I love you.. You're so to the point. I like that."

Bebe could only roll her eyes with a grin. She offered her hand and helped Drew stand up.

"Well then come on if we're going.." Bebe told Drew.

Jack and Kyle offered to help Drew walk to his vehicle, but Drew kindly refused the help, insisting he could make it on his own.

As he stumbled towards the vehicle, Drew smirked slightly,

' _I could be an actor, I SWEAR! I think that was convincing enough to make it look like my Blades disappeared.. Luckily, they don't know I can temporarily switch out my Blades in case I wanted to primarily use my fists.. Doesn't last too long, maybe 10-15 minutes from what I could gather, so it was best to get out of there as soon as possible. That should keep them off my trail when I use my Blades to give those sick ficks a taste of MY kind of justice.. I need to conceal my face most importantly when I do this.. I need to plan this all out accordingly.. But regardless, these bastards are going DOWN!'_ Drew thought to himself.

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As Drew and Bebe left, Jack remembered Kyle.

He turned, and saw Kyle was getting up, looking down, still deep in thought.

Jack took a deep breath, and walked over, and said softly. "Are you alright?"

Kyle seemed a bit surprised by the question, his mind still reeling from all that happened.

Jack's blue eyes met Kyle's emerald ones. Kyle had beautiful eyes. That was one of the things Jack noticed from the beginning.

Right now, they were a mosaic of contradiction.

He could see the fear, the trauma, the pain, and the worry, but also the hope.

Jack smiled slightly. It was a pained one. He _hated_ seeing Kyle go through all this. The idea of someone doing something so cruel to the one he loved was impossible to stomach.

 _How could anyone ever hurt him?_

That was all he thought, before he gently pulled the redhead into a gentle hug.

As Kyle rested his chin on Jack's shoulder, he heard something that he didn't expect to hear.

"You're beautiful. Don't let anyone ever tell you different."

The way Jack said it…

He said it so softly, but there was so much conviction in his words. He _truly_ believed, even after this happened three times, that.

And for the first time, Kyle started to believe it.

Even if only a tiny bit.

For that tiny inkling of hope, that _spark_ , began to glow again. It was a drop of light in a sea of darkness, but it was light nonetheless.

It was _hope_.

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Kyle closed his locker, getting the textbook for math out. Just one more class, and they could all hang out again…

He stopped, however, when he noticed someone leaning against the locker. He groaned, recognizing the pudgy fingers and red jacket. He even had a smirk on his face.

"Hello there, Kyle.. How are you this.. _fine_ afternoon?.."

Kyle knew that look. It meant he had something planned. And from experience, he _automatically_ knew that was a bad sign.

"What do you want Cartman?" He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh _nothing_.." Cartman replied, that smirk still on his face. Kyle narrowed his eyes at him. "So, Kyle.." He continued, his voice turning somewhat more devious. "Watched the news lately?.."

Kyle stopped. He hesitated, and again the memories began to rush back. He closed his eyes, and replied cautiously. "Yes...Are you confessing? We all know you're capable of that level of evil."

Cartman could only chuckle.

"Oh if only I could.." Cartman said. "But even _I_ can't take credit from this act of.. pure _genius_. Wouldn't be right."

Kyle slammed his locker shut. "Just...shut up fatass!" He said, trying to contain his rage at what Cartman had just said. Was he really _that_ callous as to view what happened to Heidi...and _him_ as anything but cruelty?!

"What's wrong Kyle!?" Cartman raised his voice, shoving Kyle up against his locker. "Your butthole too sensitive for this? Is the PTSD coming back, Kyle!?" He ended that with a laugh. "God you're such a pussy.."

Kyle's eyes widened. Did...Cartman _really_ know?!

He couldn't muster any words. The shock and horror of his worst enemy _knowing_ had caused him to pretty much freeze. Like a deer in headlights.

"Shut up Cartman," was all he could manage.

"You gonna _cwy_ , Kyle?.." Cartman said in baby talk, getting closer to his face. "Are you too upset?.. Aww. Come on pussy, cry for me."

Kyle glared at him and sent a punch into Cartman's face. But he realized, with horror, that all it did was give Cartman a bit of a bloody nose as he stumbled back just a tiny bit. When they were kids, he had been able to knock the fat bastard out with a hit like that. But not this time…

"Y-You.." Cartman whispered eerily, his anger slowly building up. Out of nowhere, Cartman sent a punch of his own into Kyle's nose, knocking him directly to the ground. Kyle wasn't positive, but he also thought it might've been broken..

Cartman got on top of Kyle and held him by the shirt, as Kyle clutched his nose in pain.

"YOU STUPID LITTLE KIKE! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Cartman screamed, his voice echoing throughout the hallways, catching the surrounding students' attention.

Kyle struggled against Cartman's grip, but he couldn't escape. He tried to push him off, but it was in vain.

Cartman then began to rain blow after blow into a defenseless Kyle's face. There was absolutely _nothing_ he could do.. He was pinned down.. The blood began to pour in more and more amounts as each second went by.

Suddenly, Cartman was knocked off of him. Kyle saw a boot make contact with Cartman's face so hard that it sent him stumbling back.

Then he saw Jack leap at Cartman and go for his throat. Cartman struggled as Jack tried to strangle him.

Jack was pushed away, and the two stood up, glaring at each other murderously.

"This isn't _none_ of your concern, rich kid! This is between me, and the Jew!" Cartman spat.

Jack's eyes burned with fury. "Don't you _touch_ him you piece of shit!" He snarled, not moving an inch.

Cartman only smirked.

" _Real_ tough getting that sucker kick in! Only a real pussy would do something that gay.." Cartman laughed as he finished his insults.

Kyle watched as Jack stood between him and Cartman, but his vision began to blur, and after a few seconds, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jack risked a glance, before he turned to Cartman. "What did he ever do to you? What gives you the right to treat him like that? He's told me about you, and all you've done." He growled.

"I'll _tell_ you what he's done!" Cartman yelled. "He and his kind.. They've sucked the blood from the true people on this Earth. He and his Jew culture are just a bunch of _parasites_ , who-" He was cut off when Jack sent a vicious punch into his face.

"Shut. The fuck. Up." Jack snarled. He sent another punch at Cartman, who just barely managed to dodge it.

Much like what Mark Hunt managed to do to Drew, whenever a bigger guy dodged a punch, only _one_ thing was inevitably going to come next..

Cartman sent a _nasty_ overhand right directly on the button of Jack's chin, which knocked him to the ground, absolutely stunned. As fat as Cartman was, he had a lot of power behind him..

Jack wiped blood from his jaw, before, as Cartman went to try and pin him, he kicked him straight in the face with all the force he could muster. Then, he rushed forward, and slammed him into a locker, he then began raining punches on Cartman's face.

The students who had gathered into a crowd began to cheer, sensing the fight was beginning to pick up. They had literally surrounded them, so there was no escape for either one..

"Yeah! Kick his ass, rich kid!" Mr. Garrison yelled among the crowd.

"Come on, Cartman! You got this! Whoop his faggot ass back to California!" This came from Clyde, who still hadn't fully recovered from the brutal kick Drew had hit him with.. His black eye and swelling confirmed this.

Cartman shoved Jack backwards and threw a couple more punches, all of which Jack dodged. Cartman then went for the tackle, holding onto Jack's legs, having him up against the lockers now.

Jack struggled, before he remembered something. He gave into his rage and anger, and for the first time, he used the force in combat. He sent _everything_ into a punch that hit Cartman with enough force that not only was he forced to let go, he was pushed back several feet.

Jack wasted no opportunity, he grabbed Cartman and _slammed_ him into the lockers, before using a force enhanced kick to hit Cartman in the groin, and elbow him with the same force in his head, before he threw him clear to the other side of the hall.

"Oooooh.." The crowd cringed upon seeing the groin shot. It was then that they realized, did Jack just _knock_ Cartman that far back!?

Cartman immediately fell to the ground, clutching his groin with tears in his eyes.

Jack wasn't done yet. He rushed forward again, grabbed Cartman by the neck, and sent jabs into his Adam's Apple, chest, and then _another_ groin shot, before turning him around, and yanking his arm back.

Cartman screamed in agony, before Jack grabbed his head, and kneed him so hard that Cartman fell to the ground. Jack held his boot to his neck, before delivering one final kick to Cartman's face.

It was at that point when several spectators from the crowd came up to Jack and held him back. They all knew full well the fight was over. These spectators were Alex, Drew, Stan, and Kenny.

"That's enough, Jack! He's not getting back up anytime soon," Alex remarked.

"As for you, ya fat cunt, let this be a lesson about when ya make noise about minorities, especially those who happen to be our friends, so, see you? Shut your noise and stay down there," he added, his accent revealing his Southwark-based origin.

Jack shook himself from his friend's grasp, before he suddenly remembered…

He rushed over, and with more gentleness then _anyone_ who had witnessed the fight could even have grasped, picked Kyle up, and began to head out.

" _No_!" Someone yelled, seemingly really pissed off at the result of the fight.

It was Clyde, who started to walk in Cartman's direction, as if to check on him.

"You okay, man?" Clyde asked Cartman. All Cartman could muster was a high pitched, pained grunt.

Jack looked at the crowd. "If _anyone_ hurts Kyle again, then you'll end up like him."

With that, he walked out, heading to his car. He was going to get Kyle to a hospital. That was more important than school right now.

Clyde growled and muttered,

"Pussy.."

Clyde was very angry!

Not only because of what happened to Cartman. No, that was probably only a _fraction_ of it.. No, there was more to this than met the eye.

Drew taking his girl from him, Drew kicking his ass and making him look like an embarrassment, Bebe _abandoning_ him!

These were _all_ reasons why! Clyde swore to himself, that one day, sometime soon, his revenge would come..

As Jack climbed into his car, he froze for a split second, before he punched his steering wheel in what looked like abject rage.

He had failed. He had failed to protect Kyle. Had he been there seconds earlier Kyle wouldn't have to go to the hospital. Had he been there minutes earlier he could have kept Cartman away period. This was _all_ Jack's fault. His failure had cost Kyle.

He noticed that Drew and Alex had departed from the school building and were walking towards his car.

He avoided looking at them, but didn't drive away just yet. Still, he couldn't hide the shame he felt.

"You did what had to be done.." Drew told Jack, who could sense the guilt on his face. "Regardless of the outcomes, you did the right thing and now it's all over.. He'll be thinking twice next time he decides to mess with Kyle.. That I'm sure of." Drew ended with a weak, solemn smirk.

Jack sighed softly. "It's not that. It's the fact that I was too late to prevent him from hurting Kyle. If I was even a few seconds earlier, then he wouldn't have to go to the fucking hospital..."

"That may be true, but it is not your fault that Kyle was assaulted. Cartman is a prick and would have done something like this regardless. This was premeditated, coordinated, timed with your absence," Alex said.

Jack looked down. "It _is_. I promised that I would protect him. And look what's happened! Two weeks since we started dating, and I can't fucking protect him when he really needs me!"

He took a deep breath. "I'm going to take him to the hospital. And...I swear to fucking Christ, if Cartman ever pulls this shit, I'm fucking killing the bastard. Same with Clyde."

Drew attained a serious expression.

"Let me deal with Clyde.. I saw that look in his eyes.. I know he's up to something, and I _know_ it has to do with either me, Bebe, or even both.." Drew shook his head and finished. "Clyde won't touch Kyle.. And he _sure_ as fuck won't touch Bebe. I'll make certain of that.."

"These happenings never happened in the UK," Alex muttered.

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Alex finally found the room Kyle was supposed to be in. Jack was already there, sitting in a chair, while Kyle lay still on the bed.

"How is he faring?" Alex asked, having been concerned for Kyle since the incident.

Jack sighed. "He's...stable. Cartman really hurt him."

"If Cartman has a shred of wisdom and self-respect, he will not attempt to do that again. I know you want to protect him yourself, but as a friend, I will try to protect you both," Alex responded.

Jack nodded, before saying softly. "Much appreciated."

He looked up. "I just wish I didn't need to protect him today. He didn't deserve that."

"No, he didn't.."

Alex sat down beside him, before asking,

"Forgive my intrusion, but may I ask what it was that you saw in Kyle that encouraged you to ask him out?"

Jack stopped.

"Well, I always did notice how cute he was, but what really caught my attention was his dedication to his beliefs, his sense of right and wrong, and his kindness..." He said, smiling at the memory.

Alex smiled and nodded.

Jack looked down, before adding. "I've had crushes before. But with him, it was different, it _is_ different. That's why I fought like that today. My father told me 'to protect what you love most'. So I did..."

Alex nodded again.

"You mean it?"

Jack and Alex looked up to see Kyle looking at Jack with a slight smile. However, they could already see some bruises on his face.

Jack smiled sadly. "Yes. I do."

Kyle smiled slightly. "Alex...did Jack go overboard with Cartman? I blacked out..."

Alex sighed and chuckled slightly. "He went further than I would have gone, let's say that," he said.

Kyle cocked a brow. "Please tell me you didn't actually kill him...I don't want you to get in trouble."

Jack shrugged. "Eh, whatever happens, you're worth it."

"I must say, I do admire your dedication, loyalty and the value you place on each other," Alex commented.

The two smiled, before Kyle looked at Jack. "I think you might have been right, Alex..."

"Right about what, may I ask? People tell me I'm right all the time, I forget what I'm right about," Alex said sheepishly.

Kyle looked between the two, before making eye contact with Jack. "Alex said that I found 'perfect husband material'."

Jack blinked, before looking at Alex, then back to Kyle, a grin forming on his face.

"I mean, it's kinda true. He has the virtues of an excellent spouse," was Alex's response.

Jack chuckled. "I think I found perfect husband material too, with the same virtues." He said, before his face abruptly fell.

"What is it?" Kyle asked, a bit concerned.

"What thought has come to your mind?" Alex asked, sharing the concern.

"I just...want to protect you, Kyle. I feel awful because of what happened."

He looked at Alex. "And...don't let me kill Cartman. Because if I see him again...Alright, I can hold grudges. Just...make sure I don't fuck everything up..." He chuckled.

Alex chuckled as well and said, "Not only will I protect my friends from enemies, but I will protect them from themselves."

Jack was suddenly struck by another thought. This time, he smiled however.

"What?" Kyle asked.

"I mean, I love you, and Simba told me the other day that he views you and I as father figures almost..." Jack trailed off, while Kyle's eyes widened slightly as he realized what Jack was getting at.

Alex thought he recognised Jack's implication, but simply leaned back against his chair, and then exhibited a spectative expression.

Kyle looked at Jack for a second, before smiling. "He mentioned me too? I mean, I was a little worried at first, but I do have to say...I really do adore him..."

He then asked. "Does that make us a family?"

Jack smiled. "I believe it does..."

Kyle was checked out after a little while later. As the three left the hospital, Alex finally commented.

"You know you had that realization, what does that mean for you two and Simba?" he asked.

"Well...I was thinking we adopt him. Now, I doubt it would be a good idea to get married immediately, as we still have school and my parents will probably not understand that, but that doesn't mean we can't be a family anyway. Huh...of all the people in my class, _I_ wind up a parent." Kyle chuckled.

Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't particularly want to get skinned alive by your mom, so that might be best. Still, we can be a family. It just feels right at this point."

"Aw, I've always wondered what it would be like to have a family member who belongs to a different species. I reckon that you will make excellent parents for Simba. He deserves a loving parentage after what has happened to him, and I have faith that he will get exactly that from you," Alex said.

Jack nodded, before he paled slightly.

"I swear, it's probably going to be great most of the time, but I just _know_ that we're going to be getting gray hairs at a much faster rate now..." He deadpanned.

Kyle blinked, before nodding in agreement.

"It's not always the measure of time, but what happens in that time that counts," Alex commented with a smile.

The pair had to agree with that.

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When they got home, the pair found Simba and Rexy rough-housing.

Upon noticing the three opening the door, Rexy rushed up to them, followed by Simba.

"Hi!" Simba greeted with a smile. His face fell when he saw the bruises on Kyle's face.

"What happened?" He asked, a little nervous.

"Jack...had to save me from someone at school." Kyle shrugged.

Jack nodded, before leading the group into the living room, he motioned for them to sit down. Kyle sat on the other side of Simba, while Alex sat down in a recliner a little ways away.

"Simba...we...were talking and..." Jack began. He stopped, not really knowing what to say.

Kyle chuckled. "We...were thinking of adopting you."

Simba looked at Kyle with surprise, before back to Jack.

For a few seconds Simba was silent, before he smiled a bit.

"Thank you..."

He stopped, before adding.

"Dads..."

Jack smiled a bit, before he gently picked up the cub and pulled him into a hug. Kyle joined the two. It was a strange family to be sure, but to them at least, it was a real one.

Alex smiled as he observed the family. "I love moments like these," he said.

That earned a smile out of the new family.

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The next day, Drew noticed that Jack and Kyle seemed a little closer than before. It wasn't anything major, just small details. They also seemed to be in good moods, which was strange considering the events of the past few days.

In history class, the two took to playing tic tac toe and a few other games to pass the time, hardly paying attention. In PE, Drew also noticed that Kyle put a lot more effort into the exercises. Not to say he didn't try already, but he and Drew pretty much led their team to victory in Basketball, and Kyle was able to outlast pretty much everyone else when they had to do their mile run. Now, at lunch, Drew noticed the pair were again acting all lovey dovey. Kyle was leaning against Jack's shoulder, the two watching something on Jack's phone. Jack seemed to be flipping through some pictures or something.

Bebe was out of school sick today, so Drew didn't wanna bother her by texting right now, just in case she was asleep. He wasn't quite sure where Alex was either, but he paid it no mind. Drew sighed, but then commented,

"You two seem to be in a good mood."

Kyle chuckled. "Are we really that obvious?"

"Basically.." Drew grinned. "What's the reason? Something in the air?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, we...kind of adopted Simba last night. We're a family in a way, at this point. He even called us his dads..." Jack smiled at the last part.

Drew could only smile.

"That's awesome, guys! Congratulations." He paused momentarily, before he he added, "I have a bit of news too."

Kyle cocked a brow. "Oh? Do tell!"

Drew grinned confidently and explained,

"I finally got around to giving that lion- excuse me, _lioness_ cub a proper name! Nzuri helped me make sense of all the options that were native to their old lands, but eventually we decided on 'Adia'. It means 'Gift from God' in Swahili!" After a bit of a pause, he finished, "I told Bebe about it, and she seems to love it, herself."

Both smiled at that. "We never did introduce Simba to Nzuri and Adia did we?" Kyle commented.

Drew shook his head.

"Too busy hiding them from that weird ass motherfucker who seemed to have a fetish for them.. They've been in my cramped apartment for a good while. I've thought about finally letting them outside where it's more free. That bastard has _got_ to be gone by now! If he was gonna do something, he would have already, right?"

Jack hesitated, before replying. "You can't be to careful, but you also can't get too paranoid. In my opinion, you should definitely let them be free. However, make _sure_ that they know that humans, and human settlements are _off limits_. I don't want Nzuri to get hurt if they attack a human out of desperation, not to mention their target. I'm not saying she would do that, but you have to be clear..."

Drew frowned slightly.

"Well I _know_ that.. I've already let it be known ahead of time. I wouldn't let her or that cub get hurt, Jack. It'll be fine.. I'll make sure of that."

Jack nodded. "Then they should be safe. You're a good man, Drew. I'm sure that Nzuri and Adia will be just fine."

Drew smiled and responded,

"Thanks, man.." He then looked off to the side, as if looking troubled. "I hope Bebe's okay.. I know she's just out sick, but I can't help but feel something's… _off_. I'm probably just thinking too much into it. I guess I'm just not used to not having her here with me." Drew chuckled slightly and then shrugged. "Can't be around each other 24/7 I suppose.."

Jack and Kyle looked to each other, before Kyle frowned. "That definitely is tough..." He commented. "Though I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah.." Drew sighed with a frown. He began poking his mashed potatoes with his plastic fork, not really all that hungry. He wasn't troubled because she was out sick. He was troubled because of that strange feeling in his gut.. The strange feeling that told him something wasn't quite right..

Jack noticed this. "Drew…? I'm sure she'll be fine..."

Before Drew could reply, he was interrupted by his flip phone ringing. He widened his eyes and checked the number, and sure enough, it was Bebe!

Drew looked over at Jack and Kyle, before taking a deep breath and answering the phone.

"Hello?" Drew greeted. After a bit of a pause, Drew added, "Yeah, Bebe. What's up? You feeling any better?"

There was a long silence, before Drew gasped and stood up out of his lunch table's seat. Jack and Kyle looked at each other, a little worried.

"Oh my G- You- I'll be right there.. Hang tight.."

Drew hung up the phone and covered his face with both hands, as if he was freaking out.

"Oh, Christ.." He muttered.

Kyle cocked a brow. "What happened? Is Bebe alright?"

Drew shook his head, not to respond to Kyle's question, but in absolute guilt. Whatever it was, it was rather serious.

"Bebe.. She- She's.." Drew looked at them with fear evident in his eyes. "Pregnant.."

Kyle and Jack's eyes widened in shock. Of all the things they thought they might hear...this was certainly not one of them…

Jack spoke. "Drew, you should be with her right now. She needs you."

"I know that." Drew spoke, his frustration slipping through. He wasn't mad at Jack, but at himself. To Drew, he had _really_ fucked up this time..

Drew sighed.

"I'm sorry, Jack.. I just.." There was a bit of silence, as Drew was thinking of what to say. "What the fuck am I gonna do?.. Her mom will probably lynch me, _Bebe_ will probably be mad at me, and probably worst of all, that baby will have to suffer.. What I mean is.. I'm no father. What if I'm not good at it, y'know? What if I'm like- like Brandon!? What if-"

Drew was cut off from his rant. He was petrified, and it clearly showed.

Jack looked at him, and said firmly. "Drew! _Calm_ down! Look, yes, this is unexpected, and yes, this will definitely make things a lot tougher on you, and on Bebe. But that _doesn't_ mean it's the end of the world. You still have your money from the UFC, so you can definitely support the baby. You guys aren't alone in this. We'll help in any way we can, even if it's just offering moral support. And...I'm sure that you'll be a good father. You're a good person, Drew.

Drew took a deep breath, before smiling.

"Thanks, Jack.. It- It means alot. I'm gonna try my hardest to protect and raise that baby. I'll work alongside Bebe to make sure our son or daughter has a healthy, happy life.. I'm gonna do _whatever_ it takes.." Drew then sighed once again, reflecting on one of Jack's earlier observations. "But that money.. It can only go so far.. It's a lot, but I- I need to make more. I _have_ to.."

Jack sighed. "I _know_ you're probably going to say no to this, but this is for the good of that child. I will help you anyway I can financially. I _know_ you might not like that, but I'm doing it because I'm your friend, and for the good of the child."

Drew was about to protest, but he caught a glimpse at the time on the clock.

"Shit.." He turned to Jack. "We'll discuss this later.. I've gotta meet Bebe and her mom at the Doctor's Office.. They're gonna do an ultrasound to make sure the baby's growth is normal so far."

Jack nodded. "Tell Bebe we wish her the best."

Drew nodded in response, saying,

"Will do." With that, he began to sprint out of the cafeteria, and to his car not far outside.

A few seconds later, another familiar face walked into the cafeteria.

"Hey, guys. Where did Drew go? Did I miss something?" Alex asked, totally oblivious to what happened.

Jack and Kyle both sent Alex unamused and somewhat exasperated looks.

"W-What? Something I said?" he replied with a nervous laugh.


	6. Chapter 5, Bonding

Jack walked out of class with Alex and Kyle. "You know, I'm actually _glad_ we watched Silence of the Lambs in the last class." Jack said with a grin.

"I mean, Anthony Hopkins is a bloody brilliant actor," Alex commented, assuming that was the reason.

Jack nodded, though didn't respond, before flashing a slight grin to Kyle.

Kyle rolled his eyes.

Jack shrugged. "What? I thought it was cute how you jumped like that and cuddled up to me!"

"I can't help it if Hannibal Lecter is freaking _terrifying_!" Kyle growled.

Alex chuckled. "You two are just precious!" he said. "I need to find someone who would love me like you love each other," he said quietly.

"You'll find someone. Don't worry." Kyle declared with a slight smile.

Alex returned the smile. He then looked forward and saw a female leaning against a lamp post. He saw that she looked up at him and advanced towards him.

"Oh, uh… hey, Cate. Can I help you?" he asked. Cate had dark hair and hazel eyes, and was descended from South Korea.

"Yes, you can, Alex. I need your help with something. Could we please discuss it in private?" she asked.

Alex gave an apologetic look to Jack and Kyle, but they waved it off.

"Of course," he said as he followed Cate down a path beside the main building. Once they were in a secluded situation, Cate suddenly stopped and pushed Alex against the wall. She looked into his eyes before planting a kiss on his lips. Alex squirmed and groaned before he managed to brush her off.

"I'm sorry, but what the hell are you doing?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Oh, ever since you arrived, I wanted to do that to you so much!" Cate revealed.

Alex frowned. "Well… you could have at least told me. I don't bite," he replied.

"I love you, Alex!" she exclaimed. He paused and then swallowed.

"Okay, w-well, I-" he was cut off by Cate repeating her earlier act of love.

"Shut up," she laughed. "So… are you… available this evening?" she asked, almost seductively.

"W-well, I-uh," Alex succumbed to a spell of nervous babbling. He only stopped when he saw Cate's unimpressed expression.

"Uh, yes… I believe I am. What is it that you want to do this evening?" he asked.

"Japanese restaurant, 7pm, be there," demanded Cate. Alex nodded.

"Love Japanese food," he said truthfully.

"Great! See you later, Alex," she bid. Alex was left stunned.

"See you… see you later. Yeah…" he said mindlessly before he slumped against the wall. "Holy shit…"

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Jack and Kyle saw Alex walk out of school after a few minutes. He had a look on his face that suggested that his mind was in a different galaxy, which was unusual for him. When he met with them again, Jack had to grin.

"Dude..." He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Had fun?" Kyle laughed.

Alex sighed. "It was… interesting to say the least. If there's one thing I've gained out of that, it's a date at the Japanese restaurant at 7," he said.

Jack blinked. "Well...I don't know if they'll let Kyle, Drew, Bebe and I back there…They still give us dirty looks after what happened to the table..."

"Therefore, we shall appoint a different venue for any triple dates," Alex chuckled.

Kyle chuckled.

"Okay."

Kenny and Stan were walking by when they heard that. "Oh, you got a girlfriend, Alex?" Kenny asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Stan blinked. "Oh no...Kenny, don't-"

It was to late. "Okay, you want some advice on girls?" Kenny asked.

Alex sighed. "Depends on how useful it is," he said.

Kenny grinned. "Oh trust me, do this and _any_ girl will want to ride-"

Alex rolled his eyes and said, "I think I know how to treat a female, Kenneth."

Stan chuckled.

"Good call. I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny has slept with half the girls in school..."

"Hey! Get it right! I've slept with at least two-thirds of them!"

As Stan and Kenny started to argue, Jack looked at Kyle.

"What?" Kyle asked.

"Of all the people to hang out with those two..." Jack shrugged.

"Hey! Kenny and Stan have always been my best friends, even if they...can be a bit...god damn it!" Kyle muttered as he realized Jack was probably right. Stan and Kenny were awesome, but there were moments…

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"It looks like you potentially found someone..." Kyle commented as the three of them got into Jack's car. "A lot quicker than I expected though. I didn't expect that someone to walk up to you five seconds later."

"You can say that again. However, I do not deny that I am nervous. I fear that I will not share the same feelings as she does," Alex said.

Jack cocked a brow. "Well, she seemed nice enough."

"Yeah, she did, if a tiny bit obsessive. But I can't help but fear that she will be the only one who wants to be there. To me, it feels like a favour instead of a date," Alex replied.

Kyle looked at him, before asking. "Who's to say you won't like her when you actually get to know her though? You should at least give her a chance."

"That is true," Alex conceded.

They continued driving for a little ways before Jack began to laugh. "Plus, if it does work out, then that means everyone in our group will have somebody. Plus, it means we'll have an American spy in the Royal family..."

Alex chuckled. He appreciated the joke and instead of protesting that he himself wasn't a member of the Royal Family and that Meghan Markle wasn't a spy, he let it slide for once.

They finally pulled up to Jack's driveway, and as they exited the car, Kyle said.

"Home sweet home..."

Jack grinned as he opened the door, and the three walked in.

They were met by Simba as he rushed up to them. "Hi dads! Hi Uncle Alex!" He said with a smile.

Kyle grinned as he picked up Simba. "Hey Simba." He said with a slight smile as he gave the cub a slight hug.

"I finally figured out how to work that TV remote thing!" Simba declared. "It was so cool watching those moving pictures!"

"Woah…. I think it's safe to say that you're the only lion who is able to use a remote control," Alex chuckled.

Simba shrugged. "Dad told me about that show he used to watch as a kid! Spongebob I think! I watched one today! The one about them being in a band or something!"

Jack grinned. "Best episode of the series in my opinion."

The group sat down after that, before Alex spoke,

"I had a weird dream before I woke up this morning. It was one of those dreams where you end up falling into an abyss, and then wake up. Anyway, the one thing I remember from that dream was the image of a lion. I don't know why, but it's been in my mind all day."

Simba blinked, before asking him. "A lion? How..."

"I'm not sure if your arrival influenced it, or if it's some sort of premonition. But what I do know is that the lion had a mighty red mane, a yellow pelt and blue eyes," Alex said, describing the only features he could remember.

Simba stopped. "That kind of sounds like my...birth dad Mufasa. Except for the blue eyes..."

"Interesting…" Alex muttered.

Simba looked down. "I hope my friends are okay...I still miss them, especially Nala."

Kyle sighed softly. "You'll see them again soon. Don't worry."

Simba smiled slightly, but still didn't look convinced.

Jack tried to lighten the mood. "Simba, Alex found a girlfriend today."

Simba looked up at Alex with a slight grin. "Oh?"

"Well, technically she found me, but yeah, I'm meeting her at 7pm," Alex said.

"When is that exactly?" Simba asked. He still didn't quite know how humans could tell time from those circles with sticks on the wall.

"Uh, it's just after the sun goes down," Alex explained, knowing that lions, like most other animals, use the sun as a measure of time.

Jack looked at the time. "You still have a few hours." He commented. "You should be fine."

"I don't need to dedicate too much time to selecting my attire. What shall we do to pass the time?" asked Alex.

Jack thought for a moment. "Why don't we show Simba Avengers or Star Wars or something"

"Sure. I don't mind if we watch either or, they're both some of my favourite films," said Alex.

Jack inserted the Avengers Blu-ray disc into the Blu-ray player. They skipped past the preliminary adverts until the main menu played, which fascinated Simba.

"Wow, look at all those enormous… things!" he exclaimed in reaction to seeing spectacles such as Iron Man and the Helicarrier.

"It's not even started yet, Simba!" Alex laughed before Jack pressed the button that played the film. Simba was entranced by the flashing colours of the 'Marvel Studios' logo, before it transitioned into an image of the Tesseract. This edit confused Simba slightly, but watched on anyway.

' _The Tesseract has awakened…'_

"Woah, who was that? Where is he?" Simba asked, looking around in a slight panic.

"It's okay, Simba. It's just a voice coming from the TV, and while he may look… strange, it's just a person pretending to be that character," Kyle assured the cub, who then calmed himself down.

…

Simba's jaw dropped when he saw what appeared to be a large stream of blue energy that fed into an apparent portal. Such was the energy of the scene, he felt himself grow warmer, until there was a massive explosion of the same colour that culminated the scene. In place of the portal, he saw a black-haired, narrow-framed man. He leaned in for a closer look until he heard the man with black skin and an eyepatch speak,

" _Sir… please put down the spear"_

The man was indeed holding something that looked like a spear. He looked at it, before thrusting it in the direction of the man, and from it came a bolt of energy. This preceded another scene of chaos that included men being slain violently and effortlessly by the sceptre-wielding man.

"Not exactly a child-friendly scene," Alex chuckled.

…

"Wow! That is amazing!" was Simba's review of the introduction of Iron Man into the film. He found the fact that a human could concoct such a device incredible.

"Is that real?" Simba asked, wondering if it was possible to see such a wondrous sight himself.

Jack thought for a moment, before grinning. "Anything's possible with the Replicator..."

Jack stopped. He repeated the words in his head.

He grinned. "Jack?" Kyle asked curiously. "What is it?"

"Could the Replicator fabricate an Iron Man suit?" Alex asked almost incredulously.

Jack nodded. "I believe it can...And possibly a lot more..."

He pulled out the replicator, and scrolled through the items. After a little bit, he grinned. "Indeed it can...In fact, I think you could make the Avengers yourself."

Alex laughed and flicked his wrist. "Nah, that is wicked cool!" he said, before another thought entered his mind.

"Oh, God! Artificial humans? That sounds like a lot of paperwork!" he said.

Jack shrugged. "Not if they're on another planet..."

Alex froze. "What are you suggesting?" he asked.

Kyle cocked a brow, curious as well.

"I'm suggesting we build a portal to another planet, and conduct our experiments there. That way no-one on Earth gets hurt. It will give us a lot more freedom and no government intervention...wait, now I sound like an Imperialist!"

Jack froze, before grinning. "Who's up for building an Empire?"

"Fuckin' hell, I only wanted to watch a film. Now we're talking about establishing empires? Oh, who am I kidding? How could I refuse?" Alex laughed.

"Yeah, that's fine and all, but can I watch the film, please?" Simba asked. Having decided to get a better view, he was practically beneath the television. At this point, the Avengers had arrived at the Helicarrier.

Kyle grinned. "Simba, smile!"

Simba turned and grinned as Kyle took a picture. Simba knew about cameras and pictures at this point. Kyle turned to Jack, and asked. "You think we can frame that?"

Jack grinned. "Definitely."

He stopped. "Alex, would you mind taking a family portrait of us?"

Alex grinned. "I'd be glad to," he replied. He was handed Kyle's phone before the film was momentarily paused so that Simba would obey the request to sit between Jack and Kyle. Alex then took the picture. It was a flawless picture of a flawless moment.

Jack had to grin when he saw the picture. "First family portrait..."

He showed Kyle and Simba the picture, both of whom smiled.

As they continued watching the movie, Simba got more and more invested. During the final battle, he would gasp at the explosions, wince at the punches and falls, but when the famous 360-degrees shot played, he cheered for the Avengers and laughed at the line,

" _... and Hulk…. Smash!"_

The gigantic green monster flung his enemies as if they were stones. However, he held a troubled expression when the Avengers appeared to become overwhelmed. And when Iron Man sent the nuclear bomb through the wormhole, he gasped in realisation.

"Wow, he sacrificed himself to save the world!" he said, remembering the argument that preceded the explosion that made him jump and run back to Jack and Kyle.

…

When the end credits had concluded, the post-credits scene played. Simba was confused as to how such an environment could have been recorded. However, his thoughts were silenced when he heard the voice of The Other.

" _Humans… they are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled."_

Simba cocked a brow when he saw the camera focus on a figure rising from his chair.

" _To challenge them is to court… death."_

The figure turned around, revealing a strange-looking, purple-skinned alien. The grin he made caused a shiver to run down the cub's spine.

"I didn't like the look of that guy," he commented.

Jack nodded. "No-one does."

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Alex straightened his tie as he stepped inside the Japanese restaurant. He looked around in an effort to see where his date was situated, and he then saw Cate sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant next to a window. Alex smiled as he walked over to her, and when she saw him, Cate stood up and walked towards him. Alex held out a hand, but instead of shaking it, Cate simply wrapped her arms around him. Alex momentarily froze, having not expected that, but returned the gesture anyway.

"You look handsome," she commented on Alex's shirt and tie, and the fact that he had gelled his hair and parted it to his left.

"Thank you," Alex replied. "You look…" Alex paused, observing Cate's blue dress and her make-up, and then swallowed. "Beautiful."

Alex gestured towards the seat before a waitress came to serve them. They ordered their food and then began to break the ice.

"So… where exactly do you come from?" Cate asked. She knew he was British, but couldn't deduce his origin by his accent, which was a blend of Received Pronunciation and a tiny hint of a Northern dialect.

"I was born in Southwark, but my mother originated in Lancashire," he replied. "That's why I've got a bit of a Northern accent," he added. Cate nodded.

"I was actually born in Los Angeles, but I moved here last year when my father got a new job as an IT manager," was Cate's response.

"Cool. I've never yet been to Los Angeles," Alex admitted.

"Eh, it's overrated. I lived in a poor neighbourhood, miles away from Hollywood. Funnily enough, I've never been to the UK," Cate chuckled.

"Well, to sum it up, it's like the Rockies in the far north, England itself mostly resembles New England, funnily enough, the East is like the Southeastern states. It's both stunning yet bland at the same time," Alex said.

They spoke about their respective childhood, their studies and their ambitions. Cate wanted to work with animals, Alex wanted to make films. Their conversation continued until their food arrived.

"So… you're friends with Drew, Jack and Kyle?" Cate commented as she finished her first mouthful..

"Yeah, they're a nice bunch, I couldn't ask for better friends, honestly," Alex said with a smile.

"What will happen when you go back to the UK?" she asked. Alex paused and sighed.

"I'm not sure, honestly. I do not like to think about leaving this place, so I make the most of it as much as I can. Unless my father was hired by a soccer team over here, it's unlikely that I will remain here," Alex said, and Cate detected a hint of sadness in his voice.

"It's okay… it should only be a shame that your stay will end, not that you didn't do more with what time you had," Cate said, trying to raise his spirits.

"True…" Alex admitted.

"How about we take a walk when we finish," Cate suggested. Alex smiled.

"Sounds good to me."

When they finished the three courses of their meal, they departed the restaurant, with Alex providing a generous tip. They had brought with them additional layers of clothing so they would not endure the bitter coldness of the night.

"I'm sorry I acted in that way at school. I was acting out of lust… apart from asking you out, of course," Cate chuckled.

"It's okay. It was… nice, I guess," Alex said. Cate laughed.

"You are so unintentionally funny, I love it!" she commented.

They walked beside each other until they reached Alex's residence.

"This is your house, isn't it?" Cate pretended to guess.

"I think you knew that already," Alex said, to which Cate responded with a smirk.

"Well, it's not my fault Google recently did this street for Street View," she said.

"Would you like to come in?" Alex asked. Cate looked down.

"I would, but I promised my parents that I would be back by 11," she said. Alex looked at his digital watch, which read '22:41', and sighed.

"Not even for five minutes?" he pleaded. Cate shook her head.

"I live, like, twenty minutes away. I'll see you tomorrow, at least," she said. Alex nodded with a smile.

They pulled each other in for a hug, before Alex kissed her briefly on the cheek. This caused Cate to freeze. Alex pulled away from the hug to ask what was wrong, but his words were trapped in his mouth when he saw that she was looking at him with a wide grin of pure happiness on her face. She was utterly cute and stunning.

They then kissed each other, this time for longer. It almost hurt when they seperated.

"Goodbye," Alex said quietly. Cate waved as she turned to walk away.

For both of them, that night was a success.

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Simba had gone to bed soon after Alex left. He was still used to going to bed soon after the sun went down, so it made sense.

Kyle had called his parents to say that he was spending the night again. It had been a few days since he had done so, and he wanted to stay here again.

Jack had to smile at that. Their love was real. He cared for Kyle, and Kyle cared for him. It was perfect. Him, Kyle, and Simba. A family. A real family.

He kind of felt he owed Kyle something nice. They hadn't had a real date since they first started...well dating. Sure, there was that incident where Drew broke the table, but that didn't really count for obvious reasons.

So that was why he made reservations at the nicest restaurant in the town.

As Kyle returned with a grin that told Jack that he got permission from his parents to spend the night, Jack grinned back.

"What?" Kyle asked.

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Needless to say, Kyle felt a little out of place as they entered the most expensive restaurant in the county. Everything here was beautiful and ornate. The atmosphere, the architecture, the expensive paintings.

The host, a middle aged man with a slight British accent asked the party name as they approached the counter.

"Jack, party of two."

They sat down in a booth by the window. They got some weird looks from a few rich looking people as they sat down, but Jack seemed to pay them no mind.

Kyle's eyes widened when he saw the prices. "Jack...this is so expensive! You don't have to-"

Jack chuckled. "It's fine. You're worth it."

He looked at Kyle. "Anything you want, I insist."

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 **Drew's POV**

I sat outside in my car just outside the doctor's office in silence, just thinking deeply to himself. This day had been… _awful_ and stressful to say the least.

When I made it to the doctor's office, the first thing I saw was a tearful and frightened Bebe was being comforted by her mom. Needless to say, as I predicted, her mom was pretty pissed at me!

The good thing was that Bebe didn't appear to be mad at me, though. She was just… really, _really_ terrified with a tad bit of regret.

The ultrasound showed that the baby was thankfully healthy and was growing at a healthy rate! As scared as Bebe and I were, we couldn't help but smile at that news. I held her hand through the whole process, and as unprepared as she seemed for all this, she looked ready to face it head on!

And y'know what? That was _all_ it took for me to think the _same_ thing!

The visit didn't last but an hour or so, and we were free to leave. They set up a follow up appointment for next month, to gradually check on the baby's progress. Bebe was allowed to come back as needed.

Bebe's mom insisted that Bebe go home with her, so that she could rest, as it had been a stressful day for her. She suggested I do the same.

I could only agree with her…

And now, here I am, still sitting in my car after what… _ten_ minutes after they left? Part of me wants to just go home and get some sleep, but another was telling me to just stay awake and live out the rest of the day doing what I wanted.

The loud sound of traffic zoomed past on the highway, which caused me to look in their direction. When they past, I saw a small building just on the other side of the road. It looked rather lonely sitting there all by itself..

Barely any cars were there, minus one. It looked very old fashioned.

I was never one to really read. I haven't really picked up a book in many years, truthfully.. I didn't know why, but something was telling me to go over there and just take a look.

Before I could protest in any way, I had already opened my door and stepped out of my car. Shutting the door behind me, I took a deep breath and walked across the street to the desolate library..

Upon entering, the first thing I saw was a few lights on, giving the room a dimmer feeling than normal. And of course, there was bookshelves just _filled_ with old books.

I stepped further inside and looked all around, but I saw no one. It looked almost completely _empty_..

"Hello there.." A frail, high pitched voice spoke, which caused me to jump slightly. I turned around to see an old woman walking towards me. She had a walker, as well as some thick glasses, which showed her age.

"Hi.." I greeted in return, feeling rather awkward and nervous for some reason. Probably because I didn't really know what I was _doing_ here.. I mean, I've never set foot in a library in my _life_!

"Are you interested in any books? I've got plenty to go around.." The woman said in a softer, sweet tone of voice with a smile.

I could tell that she was happy to have visitors. It seemed not a lot of people came here. As much as I was starting to rethink my choice of trying this out, I didn't have it in me to just _walk_ out like that.. I decided to stay a bit longer, to give this woman a bit of time to talk.

I smiled politely in return and answered truthfully,

"I actually.. was just browsing.. I've never really _read_ many books before. Not in many years."

The old woman gasped and began to push me in the direction of a nearby chair, as she spoke,

"Oh my, you're missing out on so many alluring spectacles! Sit, sit down. I'll get you a few I know you might like.."

I wasn't exactly sure about this, but she just seemed _so_ excited to show me these books, and…

' _Dammit..'_ I thought to myself. ' _You're a softy, Drew!'_

I waited maybe a few minutes before she came back with 5 good sized books. I widened my eyes in surprise at how big they were.

"Wow.." I gawked. "They're bigger than I thought."

She nodded.

"Oh, yes. See, this one here is my favorite one. It just has _so_ much to tell, reminds me of when I was a little girl.." I took a look at the book, and looked at the title,

' _Anne of Green Gables'._

Huh.. Sounded familiar, but who was I kidding. I wasn't very good at that kind of stuff.

"Yes, I.. I never had too much growing up. I lived on a farm and we got by with what we could, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.. Time can really fly." She reminisced.

Drew sat there in silence, reflecting on her words. Memories of his childhood immediately began to flow through his mind, and he then nodded in understanding, having been in a similar situation.

"Yes.." Drew said in response. "It certainly does, doesn't it?.."

The old woman nodded, a warm and knowing smile on her face.

"That it does.."

The woman began to try and sit down in a chair, but appeared to struggle a bit. She had a tough time finding the right angle that felt comfortable and safe.

Drew quickly stood up and held onto her, granting her extra support. She finally managed to sit down, turning to Drew and saying,

"Thank you.. It- It gets hard for me these days to move around often. My age is catching up to me."

Drew could only nod in understanding.

"You're welcome.." Drew softly replied.

The old woman sat her walker in front of her and she continued to have that same expression on her face.

"What's your name, young man? I don't think I've seen you around her before.." She asked.

"My name's Drew. Drew King." Drew gave a polite grin, questioning, "And yours?"

"I'm Marian.." the woman answered. She patted her hand on Drew's own and added, "I'm so glad you decided to stop by.. It's not often that people come in here that often, anymore.. Especially one so young."

Marian sighed as she finished somberly,

"Things never were the same since my husband passed on.. He kept this place full of energy and knew how to brighten peoples' day.. Especially my own.."

Drew looked on with pity. It couldn't be easy on her living without the one she loved..

"I'm so sorry.." Drew softly spoke to her. "I'm sure your husband was a good man.. May God bless you."

Marian gave a sincere smile and meekly said,

"God bless you too, Drew.." Her smile then faded slightly. "Sorry for being so humdrum and gloomy.. I- I really shouldn't bring my personal life into-"

Drew immediately waved it off.

"No, no.. It's fine. I completely understand." He sighed and then continued, "It's a shame not many people come in here.. People are missing out on a nice lady." He ended that with a sincere smile, hoping to raise her spirits.

It appeared to do just that, as her expression suggested. Marian tried standing up again, Drew helping her out once more. It appeared she wanted to walk towards the large set of bookshelves.

"Would you like anymore books? You can take as many as you like.. I don't mind." Marian sweetly spoke.

Drew was about to politely decline, and just stick with what she had suggested to him, but he _couldn't_ help but notice one book in particular. It stuck out like a sore thumb, and for some reason, it got his attention.

It was a lighter blue book, and it was fairly thick. It was definitely several hundred pages long! Drew pulled it out of the shelf, to get a closer look..

' _Psychology'_

Drew had to grin a little bit, as if getting an idea in his head.

"Would you mind if I got this one?" Drew asked Marian.

Marian nodded with a smile.

"Whatever you like.." After a pause, she added. "All I ask is that you come back and see me! It's very nice when I get visitors around here."

Drew thought about it for a solid few seconds, before he gave a grin and nodded.

"I promise.. I'll definitely be seeing you soon."

As Drew walked towards the door, he finished,

"Oh, and thank you."

Marian nodded and gave as good a wave as she could, saying,

"Be safe out there, now.. There's lots of loonies on the road."

Drew could only chuckle.

"I'll keep that in mind. You too!"

With that, Drew exited the library, his new Psychology book in hand. He grinned as he observed it in full view, thinking to himself,

' _Now for my plan to set in motion..'_

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After they finished their food, they headed back to Jack's place. When they got there, Jack turned on his radio. Kyle cocked a brow, before Jack turned and asked him, "would you want to dance?"

Kyle blinked. He was kind of surprised by Jack's question. "Um...I'm Jewish. I don't have any rhythm."

Jack chuckled. "I don't either."

Kyle still hesitated a bit, before he hesitantly walked over. But his nervousness quickly waned as they began to dance slowly to the tune of the song.

It was a beautiful moment. In that moment, it was only them. As Kyle looked at Jack, into his blue eyes that showed nothing but love to him, he felt safe again.

He smiled, and rested his head against Jack's chest as they continued to dance.

Jack stopped, but had to smile as they continued to dance slowly. He had no ulterior motives for this night out. He just wanted to make it special for Kyle. He wasn't trying to charm him into having sex. He just wanted to make Kyle happy.

And so they stayed there. Dancing slowly to the tune of the song, lost in the moment.

"I love you." Kyle whispered.

Jack smiled, and he replied gently, "I love you too."

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"Hey Alex!" Jack greeted as he and Kyle approached Alex. School had just gotten out, and Jack had been...up to something over the day. He kept messing around with the Replicator. It was a little suspicious. Not even Kyle knew what he was planning.

"Hey, Jack. Hi, Kyle," Alex returned happily.

"Alright," Kyle began. "What are you up to?" He asked Jack with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, feigning innocence.

"Well, when you use that tone, it's clear that you're up to something that excites you but needs to be kept a secret," Alex commented.

Jack chuckled. "Alright, fine. Come on, let's head to my place, and I'll show you guys. I tried to get ahold of Drew, but he's with Bebe right now."

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When they got to Jack's house, they were greeted by Simba as usual.

"Hey Uncle Alex!" Simba greeted enthusiastically.

"Hello, Simba," Alex returned while stroking Simba as he rubbed against his leg.

"Did dad tell you guys about the ship?!"

Alex frowned. "I-I'm sorry, did he say 'ship'?" he asked incredulously.

Jack looked at Simba with an exasperated sigh. "I told you it was supposed to be a surprise..."

Simba giggled sheepishly. "Sorry..."

Jack looked to a confused Kyle and Alex, and just motioned for them to follow him. Kyle cocked a brow, but followed the others as they entered Jack's basement. When they got there, they saw a large...portal waiting for them!

"This is the Gateway. I used the Replicator to construct a space and time-travelling ship." Jack said simply. "It cost all the complexity for the day though."

Kyle blinked. "We...can actually _go_ back in time then?! And to other stars?!"

"This is basically a T.A.R.D.I.S., right?" Alex asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes. Pretty much. It will transport us to the _Adjudicator_ , and from there, we can travel anywhere we wish. Though it seems if we _do_ travel back in time, it will simply take us to another version of it, and not our own past. In layman's terms, we can't change history and have it affect us today. We also can't use hyperspace in these alternate timelines..." Jack explained.

Kyle nodded in slight understanding. "Where are we going anyway, then?"

"How about one of those exoplanets? Kepler… whatever it's called," Alex suggested, wondering what the apparently life-sustaining planets would look like.

Jack stroked his chin, before grinning. "We certainly can. There is a closer star system, though. I kind of want to explore it because it's uncharted. That way we can name it and have it recognized when we announce it."

He then added. "No, it's not Proxima or Alpha Centauri."

"Where are we going then?" Kyle asked again.

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The interior had a very Star Trekkie feel to it. Which might piss off a few people, considering that the ship's hull was a Star Destroyer from Star Wars…

"This is remarkable…" Alex said, almost starstruck by the idea that this ship was constructed by the simple device that was the Replicator.

Kyle nodded.

Indeed, to actually _look_ through the window and into the strangely beautiful void of deep space was awe-inspiring.

"See that star right there?" Jack asked, pointing to what seemed to be the closest star.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah."

"That's the sun."

"Holy shit..." Kyle breathed.

Simba looked at all this with awe. It...it was absolutely incredible!

Alex joined Simba in observing the marvellous sight. From the simple white dots to expansive clouds of blue and red gas and dust, it was truly beautiful.

Jack turned, and ordered to what seemed like no-one in particular, "Autopilot, set course to the pre-programmed coordinates."

"Setting course for Sol Sector System 12933-A."

The ship began to move, and as it moved, for a split second, earth fell into view…

Kyle's eyes widened even more, and he reached out a bit. He put his hand on the glass, and it looked like he was holding the planet in his hand…

"This is like the ending of Subnautica!" Alex remembered the survival game he was inspired by Jacksepticeye to play. It culminated with the playable character constructing a ship and blasting off into space, leaving behind the planet that the ship he was previously on had crash landed.

Jack chuckled. "That is our home down there. Everything that we know of, all that we have, all that we've been, is concentrated on that single, blue sphere...This is a new dawn for humanity. One small step for man..."

Alex rolled his eyes and smirked. "One giant leap for mankind. Well done, Stretch Armstrong," he jested. "NASA would be so envious of us right now," he added.

Jack nodded. "Remind me to patent interstellar travel."

Kyle laughed. "Oh no. Already thinking of exploiting the final frontier are we?"

Jack shrugged. "Just joking babe."

There was a sudden jerk as the ship shot into hyperspace. It took only a few seconds, due to the _relatively_ short distance between the Earth and this new solar system. It would take _hours_ , possibly _days_ to travel across the entire galaxy.

"Oh, I think my lunch is trying to make its way back up my oesophagus," Alex joked.

As quickly as it started, the ship stopped, and slowed. After the slight jerk that was to be expected from the sudden start and stop travel, the ship stabilized, and the group laid eyes on the first exoplanet directly explored by humans…

Upon seeing the planet, Alex's jaw dropped. He had never seen anything like it. While it looked mostly like Mars, only a few shades lighter, there was a large streak of purple in the northern hemisphere. It looked like some sort of body of water. Alex smiled as he thought of being the one of the first human beings to set foot on this planet, scratch that, on _any_ planet!

Jack motioned for the group to follow him. As they headed through the ornate halls of the _Adjudicator_ , Jack remembered Simba. "Simba?" He asked.

"Yeah?" Simba's voice of pure excitement echoed throughout the hall.

"We don't know what's down there, I want _everyone_ to be prepared for whatever we might encounter."

He then added. "Alex, you have the hammer?"

"Yeah. I don't know how, but I managed to disguise it as a spoon," he said as he pulled out an unremarkable spoon from his pocket.

Jack nodded. "Alright. Let's take a shuttle down there. Scans indicate the planet has an atmosphere denser than earth, but of a similar composition. So we should be able to breath."

Kyle cocked a brow. "Is it going to be us jumping around like on the moon?"

Jack shook his head. "Not quite. It's not that different, but we will be a bit supercharged in terms of energy and speed. But not by that much."

The shuttle shook slightly as they entered the atmosphere. Unlike the computer-piloted _Adjudicator_ , Jack had to manually pilot the shuttle to the surface.

They couldn't see anything from the cabin, but the turbulence indicated that they were descending. Finally, the turbulence stopped, and everyone froze as the shuttle touched down. A small cloud of ochre dust rose from the soil, covering the windshield a bit…

"So… who gets to be Neil and who's going to be Buzz?" Alex asked.

Kyle blinked, and nodded to Alex to go ahead. At the edge of the cabin was a button that seemed to be the one to open the shuttle.

Simba perked up as he waited for Alex to press the button, so they could begin the adventure.

Alex looked at everyone with a wide grin before he firmly pressed the button. The platform whirred as it descended onto the dusty ground. Alex nervously edged towards the edge of it. He stopped before he planted his right foot, embracing the feeling of the dust crunching under his feet. He laughed hysterically.

"I'M THE FIRST PERSON ON AN EXOPLANET!" he cried in elation as he jumped around.

"Oh, if ever there was a pickup line that would definitely work," he sighed, not that he had to worry about that anymore.

Kyle rolled his eyes in amusement as he and Simba followed. As the pair descended down the ramp, they looked around, in utter awe of this strange world. Mountains loomed in the distance and great swirling clouds indicated a very active atmosphere.

Jack was the last to exit. "Come on, let's go explore this planet." He declared.

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The group continued their trek through the dusty plains. It wasn't quite a desert. There were definitely grasses everywhere, and succulents here and there. It wasn't too hot either, only around seventy degrees fahrenheit.

There was a flash of light for the twelfth time. It seemed Alex was still intent on taking photos with his phone.

"No longer would extraterrestrial planets have to be generated by computer imagery!" Alex declared.

Jack grinned, before he heard a loud...sound in the distance. It sounded like a sonar ping almost.

Another one followed, this one much deeper and more threatening. Just over a small hill about fifty meters away, they could see a dust cloud rising.

"What on… this planet is that?" Alex asked, half-rhetorically.

Then, out of nowhere, a herd of small creatures with short, hooved tripod like legs and two long horns extending from their back, rushed over the hill, before immediately reforming and clustering together as they began to book it in another direction.

Then...a _massive_ creature followed after them. Jet black, with a muscular body and a vaguely theropod-like profile, with the exception of a spade shaped, eyeless head(there were only two skull-like opening where the eyes would be), as well as two long spikes extending from its back and a long tail, it was at least thirty feet in length and ten feet tall!

It began to chase after the creatures, and Simba immediately recognized what was going on…

"It's hunting! I recognise its actions from when my old pride's hunting party chased their prey," Simba explained.

The group watched the predator chase its prey, before Kyle realized something.

"Oh my god! We're...we're actually _watching_ real aliens! I just now realized that! These are living, breathing aliens!"

"I mean, to them, we're just as alien as they are to us," Alex said.

Jack nodded, before everyone's attention was returned to the predator. A high pitched ping followed as a long, red _tongue_ shot from the predator's head, and sliced into one of its prey items, causing a gaping wound from which immediately poured black blood.

The creature fell to the ground, and the predator stood over it before the same razor tipped tongue was used again. This time, the predator didn't remove it, and stood over the prey. Every so often, the tongue would bulge, like it was…

Kyle gagged a bit upon realizing what was happening.

"Not only was that loud in my ear holes, it's not exactly pleasant for my eyes," Alex commented.

Jack took a picture with his phone, before he stopped.

"I don't see what's so nauseating or special, I used to see this nearly every day," Simba said.

Jack chuckled as he had to remind himself that Simba came from a completely different way of life and environment then they did.

He continued to watch the creature as it fed on it's kill.

" _Sagittavenator rex_." Jack said suddenly. "Arrowtongue. How does that name sound?"

"Is it a Sagittarius or something?" Alex said half-seriously.

" _Sagittavenator_ means arrow hunter. _Rex_ ," Jack turned to Simba. "Means King. I have a feeling this predator is the Lion of this planet."

"Wow…" Simba gasped.

"Eh… makes sense, I guess. I was never good at Greek," Alex said, knowing fully that it was actually Latin.

Kyle chuckled. "I wonder if Rexy will grow to behave like that..."

Jack nodded. He was already noticing similarities. It seemed that convergent evolution had created a predator similar to the Rex on Earth.

The Arrowtongue seemed satisfied with its meal, and withdrew its tongue. It looked around a bit, before it stopped when it's 'eyes' fell on the group.

Jack immediately tensed up, and held his lightsaber at the ready, in case the predator wanted dessert…

"I have a spoon and I'm not afraid to use it," Alex whispered as he drew the spoon-disguised Mjølnir.

The Arrowtongue cocked its head to the side, a bit, curious at the appearance of these strange creatures.

Curiously, the creature began to walk forward, but not in a threatening way. It moved slowly, pinging cautiously, not quite understanding how to react to the group.

"Why does it have to make that noise?" Alex seethed slightly.

"I think it just wants to say 'hello'," Simba deduced.

Kyle and Jack looked to each other, curiously, not quite knowing what to make of the situation. But none of them were prepared for what came next.

Simba walked forward, towards the large, alien predator.

The creature looked down at the tiny yellow furball before it. It was as tall as an elephant, but seemed almost cautious around the small lion cub. It lowered its head, curious.

"Simba!" Jack said, starting to panic a bit. He was terrified that something would happen!

Alex calculated the trajectory at which he should throw his spoon at the alien, should it decide to turn aggressive. However…

The Arrowtongue pinged in a no-longer painful manner, and instead seemed to almost be...a greeting.

Jack stopped.

The Arrowtongue nudged Simba a bit, causing him to roll over, and eliciting a laugh out of the lion cub.

"S-stop it! You're t-tickling me," Simba said between howls of laughter. This was perhaps the opposite outcome than was expected when Simba approached the Arrowtongue.

After a little while, the Arrowtongue sat down on the ground, before it nudged Simba again, rubbing some dirt from the cub. Like it was grooming him…

The present humans looked to each other, not quite believing this.

Simba, the lion cub, was the first Terran to interact with an extraterrestrial being.

"I can't quite believe this…" Alex smiled as he lowered his spoon.

Jack nodded, before Simba returned. The Arrowtongue was starting to wander off. It seemed quite content. Quite a departure from its ferocious behavior during the hunt.

"Why do you look so shocked?" Simba asked, not understanding the gravity of the situation.

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After that, it was decided to head back to Earth. They didn't want any more surprises.

"Why did we have to leave? I wanted to go to those mountains and meet some more Arrowtongues," Simba protested as they emerged from the portal, back into Jack's house.

"Think the others will believe us?" Kyle asked.

"Well, even with proof, people will always deny that which frightens them," Alex replied.

Jack nodded.

"We should definitely do some more exploring. I might also make some probes who could explore the planets while we're busy."

"I agree," Alex replied before grinning. "I still can't believe that I'm the first person to step on an exoplanet!" he added with excitement.

Jack nodded. "That'll be one hell of a story to tell Cate."

Alex laughed. "I haven't even shown her my shield or hammer yet-" he paused when he realised what that could be interpreted as when taken out of context.

"That's what she said," Jack laughed.

He shook his head in exasperation.

He then added. "Well, we travelled to another solar system and back all before dinner. It's only 5:15."

"Well, my curfew is 10pm anyway," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "I got an idea..."

He turned to Simba. "How would you like to watch another movie?"

"Yeah!" Simba practically jumped at Jack's legs, such was his sudden excitement.

Jack grinned.

He headed over, and inserted Star Wars Episode IV into the bluray drive.

For a few seconds, after getting through the music, the blue text appeared on the screen.

Jack grinned. "A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, _far_ away..."

The text faded away and all turned to silence. Almost too silent…

An eruption of sound caused Simba to dart behind the couch as the Star Wars fanfare blared through the speakers.

"John Williams is such a troll," Alex laughed.

…

Soon after the initial Space battle and subsequent firefight between the stormtroopers and rebels, Simba finally noticed the dark figure step into view, complete with foreboding music and his chilling breathing.

"I'm not sure who creeps me out more; that purple dude in The Avengers or this guy," Simba said.

Then, Simba heard him speak for the first time. " _Where are those transmissions you intercepted?! What have you done with those plans?!_ "

Simba froze, and while the majority of his expression showed curiosity, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, but… he kinda… sounds like my birth father," he said.

Jack and Kyle looked at him, before Jack pulled him a little closer, allowing the cub to cuddle up to him.

…

Simba really enjoyed the rest of the movie, and indeed, the next one as well. However, now, they were at the most pivotal moment of the second movie…

" _Luke, you do not yet realize your importance! You have only begun to discover your power! Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can_ end _this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy!_ "

"No, Luke! Don't do it!" Simba cried as if Luke could hear him.

" _I'll never join you!_ "

"Ha! He listened to me!" Simba laughed, to which everyone responded with a gentle chuckle.

" _If you only knew the_ power _of the darkside! Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father..._ "

" _He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Luke growled as he edged away from Vader._

"Yeah! Explain that, Vader!" Simba smiled in assurance that Luke would somehow escape victorious.

" _No..._ I _am your father!_ "

Simba froze. This was beyond what he had considered. A protagonist who represented the opposite of that which the antagonist stood for, was the child of said antagonist! This confused the cub slightly. Why would a father try to wound their son? It just didn't make sense! How would this scene unfold from this point?

" _Luke! You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this! It is your destiny! Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son!_ "

 _Luke glared at Vader, before quickly glancing at the void below. He then relaxed his arm, allowing him to fall gracefully._

Simba gasped. "No! What is he doing?" he exclaimed.

Simba was relieved when Leia rescued Luke at the end of it all. But he still had a ton of questions after this.

"You said there was another one, right? Well… would Luke really want to defeat his own father? And I really liked Han. Is he really dead?" he asked with a great deal of emotion in his voice.

"Calm down, Simba. We can watch it tomorrow, right Jack?" Alex assured the cub.

Jack nodded. "Indeed we can. But for now, it's time to go to bed kiddo."

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Simba climbed into his small, custom-made bed.

Kyle sat down beside him.

"Night Simba." He said with a slight smile, gently stroking the cub as he lied down. He smiled a bit. He loved the cub. He really did. Not like a pet, but like a child.

"Goodnight, Kyle. I love you," Simba said before his eyes began to close.

Kyle smiled, before he gently placed a small blanket over the cub, before he got up, and began to head out. He stopped to look at him one last time, before he headed back to Jack's room.

Jack didn't know when he woke up, but when he did, it was to the sounds of crying.

Jack looked to Kyle, who was sleeping softly beside him.

Jack got up, and rushed over to Simba's room.

"Simba...?" Jack asked hesitantly.

Simba answered with a croaky voice. "D-dad? I… I had an awful dream!"

Jack sat down beside him, and asked softly. "About what?"

Simba sniffed as a tear fell down his cheek. "Well… at the beginning, I could hear some weird music. When I looked for you and Kyle, I could see you both, but before I could run up to you, y-you… you disappeared! Into a pile of dust! I then heard a strange noise outside, so I went to see what it was, and I could see a load of people, including Drew, and then there was a blinding flash of light, and then every single person I could see…. It happened to them too! But incredibly enough, that wasn't the strangest part. I heard Alex's voice, and when I turned around, there he was, but he too disappeared…. But left no trace!" Simba explained, bravely holding back his tears.

Jack's eyes widened a bit. That did sound scary. It also sounded almost...familiar. But he couldn't place it…

What was clear however was that his son was distressed.

"It was only a dream." Jack said, trying to comfort the cub as he pulled him into a gentle hug. "We're not going anywhere. You're safe."

Simba giggled. "You sound like my mom. She would speak like that when I had a bad dream," he said.

Jack smiled. "It's what any good parent should do."

He then added. "I must say, they would probably be very proud of the strong young lion you're becoming."

Simba smiled sheepishly. "I always wanted to be just like my dad, but…. Maybe that's not possible anymore," he sighed sadly.

"It is possible." Jack declared firmly. "Simba, you can still be a lion who your father would be proud of. A leader, a _king_ is not just a title, or a throne or crown, but someone who protects those who cannot be protected, who keeps peace, who ensure that all are treated fairly."

He chuckled a bit. "You know...I have some royal blood in me..."

"Really?" Simba gasped. "How so?" he asked.

"Well, my great, great uncle was a man named Frederick the Great. He was King of Prussia almost three hundred years ago. He built a great kingdom, and laid the seeds of a nation that remains strong to this day, out of one of hundreds of small little pieces of land. He fought four enemy kingdoms at once, and beat them. That was on my great grandmother's side. My great grandfather fell in love with her, and a few generations later, you have me."

"Wow…" Simba gasped as he absorbed all this information. "Y'know, there was this mandrill in my old home, and he once said that my ancestors were the offspring of the God of Life, Jua, and that the Pride Lands had existed in some form since Aiehu, the King of the Gods, created the universe, but… then again, he was a bit crazy," Simba laughed.

Jack chuckled. "There could always be some truth to it. Never discount anyone's beliefs, whether you believe in them or not. Because they can be as sacred as family to some people."

"Yeah, I guess. My birth Dad told me, the night before he was killed, that the Great Kings of the Past looked down on us from the stars, and that when I felt alone, all I needed was their guidance," Simba remembered with a hint of sadness, but mostly held positive nostalgia. "But I'm not alone, I have you, Kyle, Alex, Drew, Bebe… huh, more people than I can think of!" Simba said with a smile.

Jack nodded. "You're definitely not alone. We're all here for you."

He then added. "I promise."


	7. Chapter 6, The Replicator War

**No POV**

It was a cold, windy night in South Park. Jack and Kyle were heading back towards Jack's house and were on a stretch of road surrounded by woods, still a half mile from his house, and maybe a quarter mile from the town.

"Was Simba okay last night?" Kyle asked.

Jack sighed. "He seemed better today. I'm just...worried. I don't know what our son is going through..."

Kyle nodded. "I hope he'll feel better soon."

Before Kyle could continue, he thought he heard something not too far behind them, like someone was...following them…

He stopped, and turned around, to see…

His eyes widened slightly when he saw Cartman strolling up towards them with a grin that Kyle had long ago learned meant trouble.

"Well, well... We meet again, Kyle. Pretty chilly outside.. _isn't_ it?" He spoke in a clear way that he _didn't_ want to really talk about the weather..

Jack immediately got between them. "What do you want, Cartman?" He snarled, while Kyle looked at Cartman with anger. He was glad Jack was here this time, and maybe he could even help his boyfriend if a fight did occur again?

Cartman gawked in false shock.

"Wh- Why I'm just so shocked! Is it a _crime_ to simply say hello to one of my old friends, Jack? Am I not allowed to have a casual conversation about the outside?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Drop the act Cartman. We all know you're up to something, as usual. What's the plan this time? Anti-Semitic insults? Homophobia? What kind of garbage is going to come out of your mouth now? Because I assure you, we've all heard it before."

Cartman merely chuckled and shook his head.

" _Tsk tsk_.. Oh, Kyle.. Poor, Jewish Kyle.. If only you knew." There was a bit of silence as Cartman stepped a bit closer. "All very _hilarious_ ideas, but no.. Not this time. I'm afraid it's.. _much_ deeper than that.."

Jack narrowed his eyes, and he slowly began to wonder whether or not he'd need to use his lightsaber. He did _not_ like Cartman's tone. It did _not_ sound like this was going to end well if Cartman had his way.

All Cartman did was stare into Jack's eyes, that wicked smirk still on his face. He chuckled evilly, which unsettled Jack and Kyle.

"Clyde frog.. The birds are in the nest.." Cartman vaguely said, which confused Jack and Kyle.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and everything stopped for Jack. Kyle screamed, and Jack turned to see Kyle, lying on the ground, clutching his knee. Blood began to immediately drain out at a moderate pace. It was certainly a _nasty_ wound..

Jack rushed to his boyfriend's side. And at that moment, he nearly froze. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a blood right light rushing towards him, and the sound of...a...lightsaber.

He barely blocked the strike aimed at him with his own lightsaber.

Cartman...had a lightsaber! For a split second, their eyes locked in the same manner as their lightsabers.

"I'm gonna _fucking_ kill you, rich kid!" Cartman growled in cold seriousness. "What you did to my balls.. Was _not_ kewl!"

Jack narrowed his eyes, and shoved Cartman back, before he launched his own strike at his opponent. Then another, and another. Cartman blocked each strike, and it seemed that they were at least fairly evenly matched.

"You won't be _alive_ to regret this!" Jack snarled.

Cartman only responded by flipping him off and saying,

"Suck my balls!"

Jack growled and shoved Cartman back again, before he began to send yet more strikes in the fat kid's direction. However, Cartman, after blocking the strikes, began to counterattack.

Cartman sent a kick into Jack's midsection, before sending two hard swipes at Jack with his lightsaber. The first strike narrowly missed, but the second barely nicked Jack on his left arm.

Jack cringed at the burn, before stumbling back slightly. He held his blade at the ready.

"AGHHH!" Kyle screamed in horror.

Jack turned with a gasp to see Clyde putting a bullet into a handgun, trying to finish what he started.

"You're lucky my aim was off you little faggot bitch!" Clyde yelled, aiming the pistol at Kyle's head.

Jack's eyes widened.

"No!" He thundered, and sent a _torrent_ of force lightning at Clyde that sent him flying, and causing him to drop the pistol. Clyde fell to the ground a little ways away, twitching a bit, before he got up with a growl,

"Fuck this, fatass! I don't have time for these gaylords!" He turned to Jack and Kyle and coldly said, "You _tell_ Drew that I'm coming for him! I'm gonna fucking _kill_ him and take my bitch back! I've waited for _long_ enough! You _tell_ his ass that!"

Clyde then began to rush away, into the cold night.

Jack didn't respond, before he turned back to Cartman, and looked at him, his eyes burning a deep yellow, as the dark side flowed through him again…

"Either surrender now and die quickly, or resist and I cut off you and your Jewish lover's balls! Your choice.." Cartman said with pure evil in his voice. You couldn't get more serious than that.

Jack didn't respond. He looked at Cartman with sheer, unbridled rage. He began to walk forward, before he _leapt_ at Cartman, and began raining a _vicious_ series of lightsaber strikes against him.

Cartman managed to block several of them, but yelped when Jack's lightsaber stabbed into his leg, and then across his shoulder. He fell to the ground, before Jack raised his lightsaber to deal the killing blow.

Then he froze. He turned to see a very pale Kyle on the ground, nearly unconscious. He swung his lightsaber blade through Cartman's own lightsaber, destroying it, and he rushed back to Kyle's side. He picked him up, and fueled by adrenaline, rushed him to his house.

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The door slammed open, causing Simba and Rexy to jump. And then, Simba saw something that brought back horrifying memories. Jack carrying Kyle, whose leg was bleeding _heavily_ , and rushed him to a nearby table.

"W-what happened?" Simba asked with fear and confusion.

"An old friend..." Jack said softly as he wrapped a towel around Kyle's leg, and began rushing to create a medpack from the Replicator. Seconds turned to minutes as Jack struggled to make something the device would accept.

Kyle was getting paler, and his head fell back as he seemed to be on the verge of bleeding to death…

Simba gasped as he rushed to Kyle's side. He nuzzled him in an effort to wake him up, but it did nothing. Simba's throat then turned heavy.

"Is… is he going to die?" he asked, dangerously close to sobbing. He couldn't bear to lose another parent. It would break him before he fully healed from Mufasa's death.

Jack finally sighed in relief as he deployed the medpack, and after injecting Kyle's arm with it, the bleeding began to stop, and as Jack removed the makeshift tourniquet, he saw the wound healing. The color began to return to Kyle's face, and he gasped as his consciousness began to return.

"Dad! You're okay!" Simba cried as he gently nuzzled Kyle's face. "That thing is incredible!" Simba remarked.

Kyle smiled slightly as he gently stroked the cub before he looked at Jack.

Jack was frozen for a split second before he began to weep as he pulled both Kyle and Simba into an embrace.

"My god...I thought I lost you…" Jack sobbed.

"It's okay...I'm okay..." Kyle replied.

Jack continued to weep as he held them close.

After a few minutes, he finally asked Kyle. "Can...can you stand?"

Kyle tried to get up, before he nearly fell to the ground. But luckily, Jack was there to catch him.

Kyle had to chuckle a bit. "Hopefully I can tomorrow..."

Jack smiled sadly, before he pulled Kyle into a kiss. "I love you..." He whispered.

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Stan and Kenny were worried. All day, Kyle had been limping. They didn't know why, but they both had their suspicions… Stan had resolved to confront Kyle about it, which was why they were approaching Kyle as he put his textbooks in his locker. They had had to wait a bit to make sure Jack wasn't around, because they didn't want...anything to happen to Kyle if something like that _did_ occur.

Kyle noticed them almost immediately, and grinned. "Hey guys." He said, as if nothing was going on.

"What the hell happened, Kyle?" Stan asked very bluntly with a stern, yet worried expression. Kenny held the same amount of worry and demand.

Kyle looked at the two in surprise, before replying. "Guys, nothing happened. Why are you acting like-"

"Don't bullshit us, dude!" Kenny sternly cut him off. "You should _know_ us by now, because we _certainly_ know you.. We _know_ when something is wrong, now what is it, Kyle?"

Kyle's eyes widened in surprise, before they narrowed slightly. "It...Cartman...he-"

"Did _Jack_ do this!?" Stan asked with slight anger, not giving Kyle a chance to explain himself. "Did he _hit_ you!?"

"Oh, I could _kill_ that motherfucker!" Kenny yelled. "Kyle, are you hurt still? What-"

Kyle's eyes widened in shock, before they narrowed. "He didn't _hurt_ me!" He snarled. "He _saved_ my life! Why do you automatically assume that he would hit me?!"

"Well.." Stan began, calming down slightly, but still angry. "Based on past experiences, I'd say assuming the worst is the safest.. The safest for _you_ , our best friend.. _My_ super best friend. I can't just-"

"You can't just what, Stan?" Kyle demanded. "You can't just trust me this one time?! You assume that I'm so fragile and weak that if I'm left alone for five minutes, that I'll be at the mercy of anybody?!"

"We're just trying to help!" Kenny countered. "You don't just _limp_ like that and try to cover it up from us without a _reason_! Unless it's something you _wouldn't_ want us knowing about.. Forgive us for jumping to conclusions." He ended sarcastically.

Kyle sighed. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me...Not like you do already. Considering how you guys have avoided me for weeks now. Is it because you never trusted Jack, even after I told you all the times he's been there for me?"

"Pretty hard to completely trust someone you've only known for like two months, dude.." Stan commented. "Surely you understand where me and Kenny are coming from, here.. We don't trust anyone easily, _especially_ when it involves you.."

Kyle looked away. "I do, but if you actually gave him a chance-"

"Chance!?" Kenny said. "We've given him _plenty_ of chance.."

"You _still_ won't tell us about why you're limping.." Stan pointed out. He sighed, and calmly added, "It's _okay_ to tell us the truth, Kyle.. We only want what's best for you. But we tend to get a little pissed off when the _asshole_ that did this can possibly get away with it! Know what I mean?.."

"Clyde _shot_ me!" Kyle said shrilly.

Kenny and Stan stood there with widened eyes. They couldn't even utter so much as a gasp.

"W- _What_!?" Stan asked in shock.

"Jack _stopped_ him _and_ Cartman! He stopped the bleeding, and he saved my life! If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead right now! Jack risked his life to save me! You don't know what Clyde and Cartman are capable of! If you would have let me speak for a second, I could have told you, but you automatically assume that the person I love, who hasn't given even a _hint_ of anything like what you assume, is responsible!" Kyle cried.

Stan and Kenny stood there with expressions of what looked like absolute _guilt_! They stood silent with their heads down, not uttering a word..

To seemingly cover up their embarrassment, Stan and Kenny got an idea at seemingly the same time. They began to walk down the hallway, in a rage.

"Where are you going?!" Kyle snapped.

"I'm gonna snap that fat bastard's _neck_!" Stan screamed.

"Same with that drug addict, psychopath, Clyde! They're _dead_!" Kenny yelled, continuing to angrily march behind Stan, seemingly to find Cartman and Clyde.

Kyle's eyes widened, and he began to run after them. "Guys! Don't! They'll _kill_ you!"

Stan sharply turned around.

"I've kicked the shit out of that fatass _many_ times! What makes this time any different!?"

"Yeah!" Kenny yelled. "And Clyde ain't so tough, himself, once you tire the fucker out!"

Kyle was about to reply, but it was too late. Stan and Kenny were adamant.

All he could do was _pray_ those two weren't anywhere near here. Because if they were, then a fight could escalate _very_ quickly. And he _didn't_ want to lose his best friends!

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 **Drew's POV**

I was in my car, currently on the way to school.

 _8:42 A.M._

That's what my clock currently read.

I had overslept after binging that damn ' _Psychology'_ book that lady had let me borrow from the library, all night. I didn't pass out until probably.. six in the morning? Something like that..

I awoke earlier to the already blaring sounds of my alarm clock. This signified that I had slept _way_ past when it had first gone off..

Bebe was feeling a bit sick today, so she wouldn't be going to school today.. I wished her well this morning by text, and that's when I got into my car and practically sped off.

I don't suppose I cared _that_ much.. It was just high school.. What was I gonna use that for in my life? Sure, it clearly looked good to job employers, but..

I sighed aloud, rubbing my forehead in stress. I didn't even know what I was saying.. The exhaustion was just terrible right now..

I stopped at a stop light and waited with yet another sigh.

This day just wanted to _drag_ on it seemed like.. I couldn't _wait_ to hear Mr. Mackey's lecture _this_ time..

As I sat at the red light, I heard the faint sounds of yelling.

"W- Who the fuck are you!? Get _away_! I'm trying to get to school, you _jackass_!"

I cocked a brow and looked in the direction of the yelling. It appeared to be coming from some sort of alley behind that _same_ Japanese restaurant I had broken that table at..

' _That voice.. It sounds so familiar..'_ I thought.

It was at that moment that I heard a loud _shriek_ this time, causing me to jump.

"Let me _go_!" The voice yelled again.

"You ain't going anywhere, sweetheart!"

"Hel-" The girl tried to scream for help, but was immediately muffled.

I widened my eyes. I knew _exactly_ who this was now!

' _Wendy!'_ I thought in concern.

But what the fuck was going _on_!?

The light was now green, and I _floored_ it to a nearby parking lot. As I quickly parked my car, I began to breathe heavily, knowing I only had mere _moments_ to act before something _terrible_ might go down!

"You really are a nice piece of ass. Maybe you'll shut your feminist mouth once you realize what a good girl's place is!"

This only caused me to grit my teeth in anger. Time to act!

I was about to step out of my car, before I remembered something. I unzipped my bookbag, before pulling out a black ski mask, which resembled that of a ninja..

I sighed, before deciding to slip the mask on, and getting out of my car.

I ran as fast as I could across the street and towards the alley. Even though I was in shape, the speed at which I ran almost caused my lungs to burn!

I was smart enough to not _immediately_ walk into the alley, instead hiding behind the corner and peeking around it at what was going on.

Some bastard had pinned Wendy to the wall, and was positioned behind her. He was feeling her up, and I could see his other hand around her mouth as she began to sob.

"P- _Please_!" Wendy begged. "Y- You don't have to _do_ this! I-"

"Shut it, whore! If you scream, I will slit your pretty little neck!"

The sobbing could only continue, as the bastard began to stick his hand down her pants.

Okay! That was _enough_!

I took out one of my Blades Of Chaos and chucked it towards the rapist's foot, impaling it.

The reaction was immediate. He immediately let her go as he yelled in pain. Wendy fell to the ground, and the rapist fell against the wall, and he clutched his foot in agony.

I retracted my Blade, and pulled it back towards me by its chain, concealing it once more, only having my fists.

I turned the corner and immediately _marched_ towards the rapist. He would have some _major_ explaining to do!

I stood in front of him and picked him up roughly by his shirt, and back to his feet. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him _hard_ up against the brick wall, looking into his eyes menacingly.

He looked at me in shock and horror, before he sputtered. "Please! We were...roleplaying...It was-"

I punched him square in the chin, which knocked him to the ground. Blood was coming from his mouth, and he was breathing heavily. I roughly picked him back up and assumed the same position.

This time _I_ was the one who spoke.

"Don't _lie_ to me, again.." I demanded in a _much_ deeper voice than I would normally speak. It sounded much more.. _intimidating_ , I guess you could say. It definitely wasn't my usual tone or pitch of voice at _all_. "Now.. We need to have a little.. _talk_.."

"Please! DON'T! I didn't hurt her!"

My response was simple. I grabbed his wrist, and pulled back on it _hard_ , breaking it. A loud snap was heard, before the rapist screamed in agony. I grabbed onto his _other_ wrist, before asking,

"Want to try that again?.."

He looked at me, before he headbutted me. I lost my grip, and he began to hobble away, but he wasn't fast enough.

I managed to grab him by the back of his shirt, slamming him into the nearby trash cans. Before he could recover, I was on top of him, _raining_ down blows to his face!

I figured the more I beat on him, the more willing he'd be to comply.. He had absolutely _nowhere_ to go..

Yet a cornered rat is at its most dangerous. He kept resisting, and he even got a few good blows in, but it wasn't enough. Despite taking a bad punch to the side, I continued to beat the life out of him.

By this point, he was bleeding profusely, before he finally fell still. He raised his hands in surrender.

"No...Please...no more!"

I stopped my fist before it managed to strike him another time. I quickly reflected on how I was doing so far.. Certainly not horrible, though I was a bit sloppy in letting him manage to hit me a few times..

But now was the time to get some possible info from this guy. What sort of info? Well, maybe he had _some_ sort of knowledge about Kyle's _rapists_ from the news! Hell, maybe he was _one_ of them!

"What's your name? Who are you _working_ for!?" I demanded, feeling him shiver from beneath me. According to what I read from the book, his behavior at this moment was quite obviously one of genuine _fear_.. He acted tough against those weaker than him, but was actually just a broken man with barely any sort of power whatsoever..

"Harold Baker...the Park County Rapists..."

I cocked a brow.

"Park County Rapists.." I muttered aloud to myself. I noted this information, and moved on to a different question. "Watch the news lately, Harold?"

I saw an _immediate_ change in his demeanor! He went from scared, to absolutely _petrified_!

"I...didn't hurt that girl! That was them! We just-"

"Them? Who's 'them'!?" I demanded once more. The rapist cursed under his breath, immediately realizing the blunder he had just slipped out.

"A...lawyer!" He yelled.

' _Lawyer..'_ I thought to myself. That would _definitely_ be useful.

I was about to question him further, but I heard the wailing of police sirens in the background. That meant it was time to get the hell _out_!

I sent a final punch into the rapist's temple, knocking him out cold. He laid there on the cold, alley concrete, as I quickly rushed towards Wendy.

She was definitely unconscious..

The hard part _now_ was deciding what the hell I was gonna _do_ with her!

Did I leave her for the police? Did I take her _with_ me?

I finally opted for the latter option, and picked her up off the ground. I ran her over to my car and put her in the backseat to lay. This wasn't exactly the _smartest_ idea, but at the time, I wasn't really thinking ahead too well..

Regardless, I put the ski mask back in my bookbag, ignited the engine, and sped out of that place as fast as I could.

This would be the beginning of a part of my life that would _truly_ define who I was as a man..

It had only _just_ begun..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I might have missed something. Why are we going to that fat prick's house?" Alex asked Jack as they were walking in the direction of Cartman's house.

Jack responded swiftly. "Simple. We're putting him down."

"Okay. What if the cops come, or something?" Alex scrutinised.

"They won't. I thought ahead." Jack replied.

He turned to his new "watch" and uttered "Execute Order 66."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Of course…" he chuckled.

Jack shrugged, and they stopped at an intersection.

Within a few minutes...a group of four...white camouflaged _tanks_ drove into view. Behind them were what looked like ground troops.

Jack grinned. "Alex, I give you our backup."

Alex cocked a brow. "Bit excessive, ennit?" he chuckled.

Jack shook his head. "You weren't there last night. They had a lightsaber and a Luger."

Alex widened his eyes. "Bloody hell. Who knows what they've got at this stage?" he wondered.

Jack nodded, while what looked like the commander's car drove forward.

"Generals, your servant." The commander said with an overdramatic bow.

"General Pickett." Jack said with a grin. "Alex, Sergeant Major General George Pickett. General Pickett, General Alex."

"Wait… since when was I a general? Y'know what, nevermind. I love it!" Alex said.

Pickett chuckled. "Orders? My boys are ready for whatever's coming."

Jack nodded, and motioned for Pickett to come forward.

Pickett disembarked from the car, before calling out. "Lawrence!"

Another officer followed.

Jack nodded, and with a stick, began to draw a map in the snow. "This," he said, motioning to a circle. "Is the enemy's house. Colonel, I want your battalions to move forward and seize it. Two will hit from the southeast, while the third will remain in reserve. Your tanks will provide cover fire."

Jack then added, "Commander Collier, if I give the order, I want your tanks to push forward."

"Yes sir." The tank commander replied.

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Jack and Alex rode on the lead tank of the column, while a few hundred men advanced behind them in a long line.

They were just a half mile away.

"So, General," the tank driver, Gordo, asked Alex. "You know a good bar we could hit after this operation?"

"As you can tell, I'm not a native, and I don't drink alcohol myself, but I heard that the bar on the intersection in the middle of the town is decent," Alex replied.

"Shit man." The tank loader, Grady chuckled. "You don't drink? Not even a bit?"

"Don't start Grady." Boyd, the gunner groaned. "Not this shit again..."

Jack whispered to Alex. "I guess all our troops have personality at least..."

"Thankfully," Alex responded, also with a whisper.

Before Jack could reply, a sudden explosion consumed the rear tank!

Three soldiers were thrown back, two of them still, gaping wounds from shrapnel all over their bodies. The third, however, cried out in pain.

"Medic!" Colonel Joshua "Lawrence" Chamberlain yelled, while the troops took cover on the other side of the road. The tanks wheeled to face the forest.

"Traverse left!" Collier yelled.

Jack and Alex took in the dip of the road.

"Fucking hell, that was loud in my ear holes!" Alex rubbed his ears as he observed the destruction.

Jack motioned for him to quiet down, before Collier announced. "Tanks incoming! Troops on the ground behind them!"

Jack looked in the direction of the forest, and recognized them,.

"That bastard!" He snarled, before activating his lightsaber.

He pointed. "Tanks, advance! Infantry provide support… Destroy those SS bastards!"

The tanks began to drive forward, with the one in the center firing a round in the direction of the Germans.

Alex saw an enemy tank move its turret to face the Regiment. He hadn't time to change his attire, so simply threw spoon-Mjolnir at the tank. It hit the tank on the turret, causing it to bend slightly, but enough to divert the course of the shell.

"Incoming!"

Jack tackled a soldier to the ground, saving his life. Luckily, no-one else had been hurt.

Jack got up, and held his hand to his watch. "1st Division, you are to bring all Brigades to these coordinates immediately! My orders to all commanders, engage!"

Jack then turned to Alex. "Alex, I need you to spearhead the tank attack on the left! I'll lead the regiment on the right! Got it?"

"Affirmative," Alex replied as he thrust the spoon in the air, and in a brilliant flash of lightning, he was then seen in gold and silver armour with a red cape flowing behind him.

"Left flank, follow me!" Alex ordered as he ran towards the tank. He leaped high in the air before he smashed Mjolnir into the floor as he landed, overturning the tank, leaving it exposed and vulnerable to extermination, and after several rounds of bullets and missiles, that was its fate.

Jack, meanwhile, formed up in front of the Infantry, and gestured to the enemy lines. By now, a line of at least fifty soldiers, with two machine guns and one remaining tank were exposed.

"Infantry! Suppressive fire on the treeline!"

A torrent of gunfire followed, felling several Germans, including both machine gunners.

"Alex! Hit their center with everything you have!" Jack yelled.

Alex nodded, and as he ran as fast as he could towards his target, he conjured all of his anger, rage and destructive desire to condemn evil to history, and as he leaped in the air, his entire body burst into a frenzy of electricity, and as he landed and struck the earth with unrivalled ferocity, hundreds of forks of lightning struck nearby German soldiers, thus killing them immediately.

"Assault Squads take that position!" Jack ordered.

Two dozen troopers rushed forward. They advanced in quarters, with six providing cover fire and the others advancing. When they got close enough, they fired grenades into the enemy lines, which took out three unfortunate Germans.

However, one managed to get to the remaining machine gun, and as his comrades retreated, opened fire. Five of the assault troopers fell instantly, while the others had to scramble to take cover.

Jack rushed out of the ditch, and ran forward, blocking several bullets, before cutting down the German at the machine gun.

By this point, thirty five of the fifty Germans had escaped, but eight lay dead on the ground, and the remaining seven groaning in pain.

Some of the soldiers looked at Jack, asking for orders. "Get some medics." He said softly.

"That's a very humanitarian act of you, Jack. What's your thinking behind it?" Alex asked.

Jack responded. "Simple. It's a law of war. Even here, it applies."

"Generals!" Pickett began.

"Enemy units are all across western woodland surrounding the town. Our scouts and Forward Recon Troops are exchanging fire. Shall we give the order for the division to engage?"

Jack looked to Alex for confirmation that he agreed.

"I've no objections," was his response.

Jack nodded. "Alright, Pickett, move your division to engage them. Alex, with me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the western outskirts of town, Pickett's division was moving westward on a mile-long front, engaging the enemy in skirmishes.

Meanwhile, a second division, created on the spot by Jack, was now marching on the southern flank of the first to engage.

Jack, Alex, and the overall commander of the two divisions, Major General James Longstreet overlooked the battlefield. All across the five mile front, there were sporadic sounds of gunfire, explosions, and artillery fire.

The Replicator could produce roughly two full divisions of troops per day, or around 20,000 men. However, projections, given the roughly fifty five casualties already sustained, suggested that if high casualties were endured, than most of that would have to go to reinforcing existing formations, rather then new ones.

It was estimated that the enemy had a similar number of troops in the area.

Longstreet held up some binoculars. "Pickett's boys are pushing forward, looks like they're heading towards Stark's Pond." He commented.

Alex nodded, but then felt the earth vibrate under his feet as he saw a shell explode about a mile away.

"I hope the civilians are safe, if not evacuated," he said.

Longstreet called in on the radio. "Sorrel, what's the situation in the town?"

He sighed. "Copy."

He turned to his superiors, and explained. "Most want to know what's going on. But they're listening to our picket guards. They're out of danger for the moment. We got a battalion in there, with medics just in case."

Jack nodded. "Any reports on the government? What are they doing?"

"I'm surprised National Guard hasn't rocked up yet," Alex commented.

Jack shrugged. "They probably don't quite know what to do..."

As if on cue, the distinctive scream of fighter jets, F-15s by the look of it, caught their attention.

For a tense few seconds, Jack waited, before the jets arced down, fired missiles into _German_ positions, and withdrew. They were _assisting_ the right side it seemed!

"At least they know who's side we're on." Longstreet deadpanned.

"Are they coming back round for another strike, or what?" Alex questioned as he followed the jets arc away from the town.

His question was answered when they returned, but almost immediately, one was downed by anti-aircraft fire.

Meanwhile, several helicopters, including a few transports, were landing.

As they exited, a middle-aged officer bearing the insignia of a Captain disembarked. As he approached, he looked at the three with confusion.

"Commanding Officer?" He asked curiously.

Longstreet motioned to Jack and Alex.

The officer cocked a brow. "A Jedi knight and a Norse god…"

"Captain," Longstreet began. "I ain't kidding. These two are the Commanding Generals."

The officer sighed, before reluctantly saluting. Jack saluted back, while Alex gave a less firm salute, his inexperience in military environments evident.

"Generals..." He began. "I have a few platoons of National Guardsmen available, if you require them. However, only one could theoretically engage the enemy with its current equipment."

Jack nodded. "Move your platoon towards that pond over there. Make contact with General Pickett, and he'll brief you on the details. Get the rest of your men into the town, to assist in helping the civilians."

The Captain bristled slightly at the orders, but saluted again, and headed off to join Pickett's Division. His troops followed, wearing full US military uniforms and carrying M16 rifles.

Jack took a deep breath. "Looks like its official."

"Could an authentic replica of an official US soldier be replicated? What if that's what they've done?" Alex asked Jack.

"Not by the looks of it." Longstreet interjected. "Just received reports from my radio operators. The Federal Army has nationalized all Colorado National Guard units, and their military is mobilizing. Says that what's going on is all over the news..."

Another explosion followed from the treeline. It looked like Pickett's men were pushing west again, but were having some trouble driving the enemy army back.

Jack took a deep breath. "We're at war..."

"More like the world's biggest grudge match," Alex said silently.

Jack paled slightly. "Don't remind me."

He then narrowed his eyes. "We're at war because of that fucking _cunt_!" He snarled. "Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands will die because of _his_ grudge against us! I'm fucking ripping his head off when this is through!"

"Well, why don't we just end this nonsensical 'oh, if I see you again, I'll kill you', and stop treating… wait… are these people living organisms with cells and shit?" Alex started but cut himself off with the question.

Jack nodded. "Yes. They are no different from you and I biologically..." He looked down.

"Well… maybe we shouldn't treat them like expendable pieces of flesh. Yeah, they're loyal, but only by design. This war must end as soon as practically possible. If the only way to end it is to kill Cartman, then so be it. He has wrought enough suffering, but he should not be the reason that innocent people are massacred," Alex said.

Jack shook his head. "Yes, but those men out there that ours are fighting, are the enemy right now. Idealism is good, and I won't commit atrocities, but the reality of this situation is that if we don't kill them, they will kill us. I don't want to fight this war, but we have no choice. The only way to end it is to destroy Cartman's army, take his replicator, and end him here and now."

"Okay, so kill every last hostile foe, including Cartman, confiscate his replicator, and prevent him from manipulating events against our favour, or in simpler terms, kill him. Agreed?" Alex listed.

"We kill only those who shoot at us. If they surrender, they will be treated well. But the other two will happen."

"Yeah, that's what I meant by 'hostile' foes," Alex quietly added after the conversation ended.

Jack nodded, before they heard someone yelling on the radio, and a few assault cars driving by.

"They're running! They're _running_!" An officer yelled.

"They're not gonna pull a 'William the Conqueror' on us, are they?" Alex asked fearfully.

As if to answer his question, another USAF air strike occurred. "Sir! General Ames reports that the enemy has fallen back on the southern front!" The officer in the first car reported.

Jack saluted. "Very well, Lieutenant, have him hit their flank and try to encircle them."

As the first car withdrew, the second officer reported, "Sir, General Pickett reports the enemy has broken their center! The enemy lines have broken!"

Jack nodded, before replying. "I want the artillery to open _behind_ their flanks!"

Longstreet cocked a brow, before commenting. "Cutting off their escape?"

Jack nodded. "If we can surround them, perhaps they'll surrender..."

"Hmmm.. I like your thinking," Alex replied.

Jack nodded.

"Let's hope this ends quickly. For _all_ our sakes."

He was stopped when Longstreet reported. "Sir...the enemy army is counter-attacking, and...the enemy commander has been sighted in town...He's heading towards the school!"

"What's Cartman doing now?" Alex asked with a growl.

Jack's eyes widened. "Kyle!"

Without another word, Jack ran into town, ready to confront Cartman..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of gunfire was still audible even from here. The screams of nearby townspeople were drowned out by said artillery fire.

Kyle looked out towards the smoking battlefield, rising above the treeline, while Stan and Kenny stood beside him, looking on in shock and slight fear.

"Jesus Christ, dude.." Stan muttered, as if in denial. "Who.. Who-" Stan was cut off by Kyle.

"Cartman." Kyle said softly.

"We should've _listened_ to you!" Kenny facepalmed, looking on at the mayhem that lie ahead of them. "This is _our_ fault.. Maybe- Maybe we could've _helped_ or something if we'd have talked to you sooner! Or-"

He stopped, when there was the sound of shouting in German, followed by several…

Kyle's eyes widened, and he turned to see a squad of Camouflaged German troops walking forward, led by…

Cartman, wearing a full SS Officer uniform, a lightsaber clipped to his belt and a swastika armband.

"Hello, guys.. Long time no see." Cartman sarcastically spoke, that same tone in his voice.

Kyle backed up slightly, realizing that this time, Jack wasn't here. He was _nowhere_ to be found! Ever since the shooting began! Kyle had his suspicions though…

Stan growled, yelling,

" _Fuck_ you, Cartman! What the _hell_ is your problem!?"

"Yeah!" Kenny added. "We always knew you were a fat retard, but-"

The SS soldiers all trained their guns on the trio, upon seeing the motion from their Officer.

Cartman shook his head, beginning to walk up to them.

" _Tsk tsk tsk_ , oh Kenny.. Poor, _poor_ Kenny.." He put emphasis on the word 'poor' to take a jab at him.

This caused Kenny to narrow his eyes, but he said nothing.

"And _Stan_.." Cartman chuckled. "Still pissed off Wendy left you for Token, like what, _seven_? _Eight_ years ago!? Grow a fucking pair of _balls_ , dude.. She may not be with Token anymore, but she's clearly over your loser ass. Get a life, pussy!"

Cartman taunted him maliciously, which caused Stan to growl in absolute rage. If it weren't for Kenny holding him back slightly, Stan might've snapped _right_ then and there.

Cartman then set his eyes on Kyle.

"Oh, Kyle.." Cartman began with a smirk. "I couldn't forget about _you_. You might remember what your _faggot_ boyfriend did to my balls! Which by the way, was _not_ kewl!" Cartman circled Kyle, and finished with a whisper in his ear. "And by the way.. The _moment_ I tell these soldiers that you're a Jew, your very life is _over_.. _Immediate_ Death Camp for you, you weak pussy! You can do.. _nothing_! I. Am. _GOD_!" Cartman screamed the last part in his ear.

"NOT YET!"

Everyone turned, and the soldiers trained their rifles on Jack, who strode forward confidently.

Cartman turned with a growl, pulling out his lightsaber and activating it with the flick of a switch, it's red blade burning like fire.

"When will you _learn_ when to give in!?" Cartman yelled. "Don't you see!? You're _outnumbered_ , Jack! I hold _complete_ control! Now I suggest you run away like the faggot _pussy_ you truly are! Before I order my men to _end_ your already pathetic existence!"

Jack responded by sending a blast of force power into Cartman's squad, sending them flying, and as they landed, sickening cracks indicated that they were all very dead. Now it was just Jack and Cartman.

Jack grinned. "Your army is in retreat. You might want to think again you _fat_ fuck. Notice how I said fat? Because you are! You're not big boned! You're not festively plump! You're not beefy! You. Are. Fat!"

"And you. Are. _Gay_!" Cartman countered, with a smirk. "What? So what if I _am_ fat, which I'm not!? It's certainly _way_ better than what _you_ are! Look at you, Jack.. How does it feel? Do you feel _good_? Do you feel _special_? Well _newsflash_! Those who 'support' you, really _pity_ you! They think you guys are _freaks_! And even _worse_?" Cartman eyed Kyle like a hawk. "He's a fag, _and_ a Jew! How worse could you _get_!?"

Jack took a deep breath. "You're beyond saving."

He activated his lightsaber, causing Stan and Kenny to grab hold of Kyle and start to run.

"Come on, dude! We gotta get the fuck _outta_ here!" Stan yelled, not wanting Kyle to get hurt from the inevitable battle.

"So," Jack began, as deathly silence filled their ears, "it begins."

 **Drew's POV**

Yeah, so.. Plans have _definitely_ changed for me..

I drove ever closer towards the school to hopefully get Wendy there safely, but not even a few _blocks_ after I left that parking lot, I hear gunshots going off!

Not handgun shots either, but like, heavy _artillery_ fire! This was militaristic!

' _No!'_ I thought to myself in upset.

I was obviously a fighter. _That_ much was clear.. But when it came to war? I couldn't _stand_ it! So many innocent people over the years.. _Killed_ by it all! I saw war as a sometimes necessary _evil_!

I would put a stop to it at _all_ costs! If it couldn't be stopped, then it would at _least_ be ended as quickly as possible! No matter _what_ had to be done..

I knew where Wendy lived due to previous conversations with Bebe, so that's instead where I took her. I gently carried her to the front door, and immediately noticed the surrounding silence.

I gently sat Wendy down in front of the door and gave it a knock, quickly hiding, so as to not be spotted. I waited several seconds, but no answer came. I assumed no one to be home.

To some- Okay well, to _most_ , this may come off as sort of strange, but I _certainly_ didn't want to be traced back in _any_ way as the vigilante! Or perhaps even worse, I didn't want to be seen with their daughter's unconscious _body_.. _That_ probably wouldn't go well.

To my surprise, the door immediately opened when I turned the knob, causing me to cock a brow.

' _Not very secure.. Looks like a broken lock. Someone should fix that.'_ I thought suspiciously.

I would have to remember this for later. It was definitely noted..

I laid Wendy down on her couch, and left not a _moment_ later. It was only a matter of time before she got up, and I wasn't about to stick around for another _second_!

I rushed over to my car, started the engine, and sped off.

' _That was an.. experience..'_ I thought to myself.

I decided that this situation was _finally_ behind me, and that I could focus on other things. For example, just what the _hell_ all that gunfire was about!

Something was fishy.. And I was gonna find out who the fuck was _responsible_ for starting this! The conflict would stop.. I would make sure of that.

Not a couple minutes later, I saw that the gunfire was occurring at South Park High.. Or well, at least a mile from it.

"Guys! Wait! What about Jack?!"

I widened my eyes, upon hearing the concerned voice of Kyle. I reached into my bag and pulled out the ski mask, putting it back on.

There is _no_ way I was gonna let them find out my claims about me losing my fighting abilities was a sham! I would do this as a vigilante, and that would be final! It was _too_ risky, otherwise..

I stepped out of my car and ran behind a sizeable tree, listening into Kyle, Stan, and Kenny's conversation, to hopefully obtain more information.

"Jack will be _fine_ , Kyle!" Stan said softly, yet firmly. "But if _we_ don't get out of here, we're as good as _dead_!"

I cocked a brow, listening intently.

' _What does he mean?'_ I thought. ' _Say MORE! What the hell is going on here!?'_

"But you saw those soldiers! What if Cartman has more on his side-"

"He will be _fine_!" Kenny reaffirmed, backing up Stan. "We have to _go_! If we don't, we will be _shot_ or _captured_! And neither _one_ is good when you're dealing with King Fatass!"

I widened my eyes.

' _So CARTMAN is behind this.. That FUCKER! But HOW!?'_ My eyes then narrowed. It didn't matter. He would _pay_ for this.. I continued to listen for Kyle's response, just in case something else I needed to know would be said.

"You guys don't understand!" Kyle yelled. "I _won't_ leave him! He _needs_ me!"

"Kyle.." Stan began softly. "I love you, you're my best friend in the world, but please don't be _stupid_ , dude! That's _suicide_! Jack sure as hell doesn't want you there, _either_! We finally have an opening for escape, and we need to _take_ it! Before it's too late.."

"You there!"

I turned to see several soldiers walking forward, including, by the looks of it, two US MARINES!

"You guys need to get to the eastern side of town! This area is too close to the front line!"

"Yes _sir_!" Kenny responded, not giving Stan or Kyle a chance to reply. He began to follow a couple of soldiers, who would escort them to safety. "Let's go, guys.. We need to get _out_ of here!"

As they moved off, I saw a fighter jet zoom overhead! I turned, and saw it strafe what I presumed to be one of...the enemy's positions. The explosion caused by the missiles sent streams of snow and soil flying _two hundred_ feet into the air! The sounds of machine gun and artillery fire continued, and very faintly, I could hear the cries of dead men.

I shuddered in both horror.. and _anger_!

These men wouldn't be dying if it wasn't for this war! If it wasn't.. for _him_! For _Cartman_!

Now was the time for me to _act_..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex watched the battle continue. The enemy counterattack had largely sputtered out, but had pushed them to within a half mile of the town. However, after several hours of back and forth, heavy fighting, both sides were nearly exhausted. Casualties were estimated to have reached nearly fifteen hundred for their side…

"General Alex!" Pickett called on the radio.

"Copy, what is it, Pickett?" he replied.

"A half mile gap has opened in the enemy line. The tanks from both divisions are close to it! Request permission to coordinate an attack on their center!"

"Permission granted. Mind if I join you? Over," Alex asked as he prepared to fly to Pickett's location.

"Permission granted, general! Time to break those bastards!" Pickett said, hoping to finally decide the battle.

Alex promptly spun his hammer to gain momentum, and when he extended his arm, he flew through the air at a great speed, and before long, he landed next to Pickett.

Pickett raised a saber in his hand, and gestured to the enemy line. "Forward!"

"Let us rid this good earth of these peace-wrenching pricks!" Alex cried as he led a charge towards the enemy line.

The result was instantaneous. Hard fighting followed, and it quickly descended into melee fighting on the flanks of the tank forces as they assembled. The enemy infantry did everything they could to try and close the gap.

But it was in vain.

Alex, the tanks, and the ground troops were unstoppable.

One by one, they wiped out every enemy soldier and vehicle in the area. Within half an hour, the tanks had broken through, and were now pushing westward. All across the line, the enemy troops were fleeing north and south, trying to reform safely.

As he destroyed the last tank, Alex finally heard the guns fall silent. Then, behind him, he heard the men began to cheer, some hoisting their helmets or rifles into the air, and many chanting his name, "Alex! Alex! Alex!"

The feeling was surreal. He had never felt so appreciated, he had never been the subject of such praise, not that he actively sought it ever.

The cheering continued, before Pickett, Longstreet and the other division commander, General Ames rode forward in a command car. Longstreet saluted. "Well done, General." He said with a smile.

"This day does not belong to one man, but to all," was Alex's response.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's over Cartman!" Jack snarled. "Your army has retreated! Give up now and maybe I'll show you mercy!"

Cartman spat at Jack.

" _Fuck_ your mercy! This fight isn't over _yet_!" Cartman yelled in response, rushing towards Jack once more.

Jack blocked the strikes, before countering with his own. Cartman blocked them as well, and they continued their bitter struggle.

It seemed this time, the two were locked in a stalemate.. No one appeared to be backing down or besting the other just yet..

It was only a matter of time before one finally gave in..

Cartman violently slashed his bright red lightsaber at Jack at speed one wouldn't _expect_ from someone Cartman's size.. Jack _still_ managed to parry every single one, but struggled as more blows came..

Unexpectedly, Jack was nicked on his left arm by Cartman's lightsaber, cutting it deeply. Jack yelled in pain as he fell to the ground. He blocked what could have been the final strike just in time, but he was pinned down.

"Face it, Jack.." Cartman said in a surprisingly cold, serious tone, even more so than ever before. "You've _failed_! You're about to die, and not only that, but _Kyle_ will as well.. _All_ your friends and those you care about! One by _one_ they will be captured, and put into either work or _death_ camps! _No_ one will be spared! _No one_! You have _failed_ them all.. Including yourself."

Jack looked at him for a moment, his life flashing before his eyes. Memories of his friends, of his home, of his family, of Kyle and Simba-

Kyle and Simba…

If he died here...then they would too!

In that moment, everything changed for him. With an animalistic scream of "No!", he shoved Cartman back, and stood up. "You won't _touch_ him!" He screamed, just before something unexpected happened…

A familiar looking blade went straight through Cartman's stomach, wounding him greatly.

"AGHH!" Cartman screamed in pain, dropping his lightsaber to the ground and falling to his knees.

The blade retracted from Cartman's gut, and back to a _mysterious_ man in black.. He had on a ski mask, his resemblance close to a _ninja_!

"Cartman.." A deep, intimidating voice came from the figure. "This ends _now_!"

Jack looked at the mysterious figure before he advanced on Cartman, together with the man in black, before a sudden explosion caught both off guard!

An enemy tank levelled a house, and several Germans disembarked, rushing towards them!

They cut them down with ease, but by the time they did so, the enemy tank, and Cartman, had disappeared…

He had escaped again…

The black figure could only stare in the direction they had gone, knowing full well there was no way to catch up. He stood in silence, saying nothing.

Jack looked at him, curiously. But before he could say anything, the figure too retreated with more speed then one would expect. He took off behind a nearby building, Jack debating whether he should follow him or not.

He sighed, deciding that there were more _important_ things going on right now..

But even still, he would have to keep this in mind..

He stopped when he heard another car approaching. Alex disembarked.

Jack cocked a brow. "Victory I take it?"

"Very much so," Alex replied.

Jack nodded. "Cartman escaped again. But...you won't believe this! This...man in black actually saved my life! He freaking _stabbed_ Cartman just as the bastard was about to kill me!"

"Fuckin' hell! For a fat cunt, he is annoyingly good at slipping away. I commend that man who saved you," Alex said.

Jack nodded, before he suddenly remembered; "Kyle!" he whispered nervously. He needed to make sure his boyfriend was alright!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kyle was _terrified_! The fighting seemed to have stopped, but the last he saw of Jack, he was fighting Cartman! And he had no idea if he was okay.

Stan, Kenny, his parents, and Ike were all there, along with pretty much everyone in South Park, on the far side of the town, away from the fighting.

His mother tried to encourage him a bit, bringing him into a hug,

"Oh, Kyle.." She began softly. "I hate seeing you so distressed.. I'm sure _wherever_ Jack and the rest of your friends are, they're alright. They're fighters, every last one!" She tried to boost his confidence at the end.

Kyle smiled slightly, but he wasn't to confident. He just couldn't shake this horrible feeling. Perhaps he was just nervous, as anyone would be if their love was in a warzone…

Kyle was interrupted by familiar sounds of crying, followed by a frustrated tone of voice,

"Pick up! _Please_ , pick up, dammit!"

Kyle looked up, and saw Bebe. "Bebe!" He called.

Bebe glanced at him, before roughly shoving her phone in her pocket. She sighed and put her hands on her face, covering up her upset.

"No answer.. That's the _tenth_ time I've called! Oh, I hope he's okay.." Bebe told Kyle, obviously stressing out.

They were soon joined by a frantic Cate, who seemed to be looking for Alex.

"Have you guys seen Alex? The last time I saw him was this morning, and he was walking with Jack," she said.

Kyle's eyes widened. He looked down. "I don't know where they are! Where-"

He looked down, on the brink of crying himself.

Stan and Kenny looked at each other, hating to see Kyle like this. Cate then placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder. "They're going to be okay…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **No POV**

Drew finally stopped running when he knew he was in no danger of being followed. He ran behind a secluded building, and took off his ski mask for a bit of fresh air.

The bitter chill was immediately felt on his face, and he closed his eyes for a moment, just trying to adjust and assess what all had just happened.

' _I can't BELIEVE Cartman got away.. Dammit! I HAD him too! Even Jack was standing again! That was our CHANCE!'_

Drew's thoughts were that of anger and regret of how he handled the situation. He felt as though he could've done _more_ to stop Cartman then and there! But alas, that was in the past.. It couldn't be repeated.

Drew sighed and began to strip out of the black clothes he had put on. He decided to wear that color for many reasons, the most _notable_ being that it was the most mysterious.. It even would blend him in well at night, which was a plus.

Drew put the ski mask and his black clothes into his bookbag and zipped it up tight. He was now back in his usual attire of a T-shirt and blue jeans. Drew reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, but his heart _sank_ when he felt nothing in there.

' _I left it in the CAR! Shit! Bebe's probably worried SICK about me! She knows I was going to school, and most definitely knows that's where the fighting was taking place! Oh, I'm gonna get it now..'_

He stopped when he heard two familiar voices speaking.

"No shit?!" He heard Jack ask. "So that's why they retreated...You might have saved the town with that attack!"

Drew gave a small sigh. Time to play pretend.. He took a deep breath and ran out in the open, shouting,

"Guys!"

"Oh, hey Drew," Alex said casually, before he froze and turned again. "Drew! Oh, man, I didn't think I'd ever be this relieved to see you!" Alex said.

Jack looked relieved to see him.

Drew panted heavily, looking as if he was worn out. He looked down in what appeared to be shame.

"I- I ran as fast as I could.. There was nothing I could do! I.. I'm sorry that-"

Jack waved him off. "It's fine. Things got chaotic when the first shots were fired. We're just glad you're alright man!"

"Is Bebe okay!?" Drew asked, this time with _genuine_ concern. "Is she alright? She must be worried _sick_ about me!"

"Most of the civilians were evacuated to the eastern part of town. No civilian deaths, so I believe she is..." Jack replied, before looking down. "I think all three of our loved-ones are worried sick..." He added.

Drew looked on in relief, but nodded in agreement that they would _all_ be worried just as much..

"What all happened, anyways? Who was attacking us? Is everything good, now?"

"Cartman has an army. He made it with a Replicator. We were coordinating our own army to stop him. We got some help from the US Air Force and Marines...Alex said one of the Marines called him 'General Limey' as a term of affection for his leadership in the final charge."

He stopped. "I was fighting Cartman while Alex led that attack. The fat bastard had a lightsaber! He nearly killed me...but this man in black saved my life!"

Drew didn't even make any sudden expressions. He kept his cool, and only put on an expression of shock and curiosity.

" _Really_.." Drew began. "I'm glad you're okay, man! Cartman and Clyde are going _too_ far! Those fuckers will get what they _deserve_!" He paused for a bit before curiously asking, "You said a man in _black_ helped you?"

Jack nodded.

"Well, what did he do? You said Cartman almost killed you, right? Did he sneak up on him? Shot him I imagine?"

Jack shook his head. "He actually _stabbed_ the fucker! If it wasn't for one of Cartman's tanks, we could have killed the fucker then and there!"

He looked down. "We should probably go find Kyle, Bebe and Cate. They've had enough to worry about today..."

Drew sighed and replied,

"I agree.. I left my phone in my car. I forgot to grab it before I took off running from the school.. So I haven't talked to _anybody_ since this morning.."

Jack nodded. "I haven't talked to Kyle since this morning either..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stan looked up when he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps.

They were coming from the nearby street. Kyle, Bebe, and Cate noticed them too.

Kyle looked up hopefully. Bebe gasped in surprise and relief upon seeing Jack, Alex, and…

"Drew!" Bebe yelled, rushing towards him happily. Drew caught her midrun and pulled her into a hug. "Where _were_ you? I was so _worried_! I've been calling!"

Drew weakly smiled.

"I left my phone in my car as I ran from the school.. I had to get away from the attack. I- I'm sorry I had you worried, babe.. But it's okay! I'm okay.." Drew and Bebe hugged each other tighter, Bebe resting her head on his shoulder. This moment was pure _bliss_..

"Don't _make_ me worry like that again, asshole!" Bebe warned teasingly. "Or else I'll make you regret it."

The two chuckled at that.

"I'll take your word for it." Drew said with a smirk. The couple was still interlocked in an embrace, refusing to let the other go.

"I love you.." Bebe whispered, leaning closer to Drew's face. Drew did the same, muttering,

"I love you too.."

The two passionately kissed each other on the lips, happy to be reunited once again after that _scare_. Drew knew Bebe was sick today, but he didn't _care_. All that mattered to them, was that they were both safe.

Alex approached Cate with a smile on his face. While Cate also had a smile, before they could embrace each other, Cate slapped Alex lightly on his cheek.

"I'm glad to see you too," Alex said as he rubbed his cheek. Before Cate could reply, she simply wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't you ever do anything like that again!"

"For you, anything," Alex replied.

Kyle stood up, and after a few seconds, rushed towards Jack.

Jack felt a tear fall down his cheek, and he caught Kyle in a passionate embrace. The two began to cry joyfully, before Jack kissed Kyle gently.

"I love you so much..." Jack declared softly.

"I thought you were dead..." Kyle whispered. "You were the reason I wasn't." Jack declared. "Seeing you again is why I fought..."

For a few minutes the three couples stood there, before Mr. Garrison asked,

"I'm glad everyone's okay.. But just what the _hell_ was all that? Why did Eric summon Nazis to take over South Park?.." He paused for several seconds, his expression being one that said, 'well duh'. "Oh, that's a _stupid_ fucking question.. But you know what I mean."

Before the three could reply, several US Marines walked forward.

"Generals Anderson and Pearson." An officer began, before saluting Jack and Alex, who saluted back.

Everyone's eyes widened when the officer said that to Jack and Alex.

Kyle froze, and looked at Jack with shock.

Cate cocked a brow. "You only said you had a vibranium shield and Mjølnir. What else are you hiding from me?" she accused Alex.

"Jack literally just decided that I was a general," was his response.

Jack took a deep breath, and asked. "Yes Colonel?"

The officer nodded, before saying. "The government is mobilizing what forces it can, but for the next month, it seems the burden is on you and your replicator to produce fighting forces and supplies. For that reason, the President has commissioned you Brevet General. Government troops will join and reinforce your army, and when the time comes, you are expected to defer to a professional commander, but until then, you are given freedom of action to defeat the enemy."

The officer looked down. "I hope you're up to the task, kid."

Jack bristled slightly, before nodding. He turned to the others. The town looked at him in shock. They couldn't _believe_ that this was happening...

"Colonel," he said, without looking. "Tell the President that any help is much appreciated. But this war has only _begun_..."

He then looked out towards the still smoking battlefield. "The Replicator War has begun..."


	8. Chapter 7, Changing Times

Night had fallen. But this time, it was different. The streets were patrolled by soldiers, and every so often, the sound of gunfire would cut through the silence of the night.

The enemy army had reassembled to the west, while Jack's army had formed a protective line around the town.

"Can I just go past and get my damn _groceries_ home!?" A frustrated Randy Marsh said to a soldier who stood at a checkpoint, blocking his way. "My wife will _nag_ me into oblivion if this gets cold!"

A soldier scanned the bag, and motioned for him to go ahead.

"Finally!" Randy said, putting his car into 'drive'. "Jesus.." He muttered as he drove through the checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Jack, Kyle, and Simba were heading over to Drew's house. Jack wanted to try and distract his family from the new reality of the war.

As he pulled up, Simba commented. "It will be nice to see Uncle Drew and Aunt Bebe again."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, it will."

Jack walked up, and knocked on the front door.

Meanwhile inside, Drew still laid asleep. He tossed and turned, sweating rather profusely. He was in the middle of a rather strange nightmare..

 _Drew ran through the streets of South Park, heavy artillery fire firing from all different directions. There were sounds of Cartman laughing in wicked glee, as if he was enjoying what was going on._

 _Cartman's laughs grew louder the farther he ran, until it was finally too loud for Drew's liking. He tried covering his ears, but the sound wouldn't stop._

 _He was mysteriously teleported to a pitch black area, but for some reason, he could see images just fine within it._

 _He stood there, panting heavily for a good few seconds, before the figures of Jack, Kyle, Simba, Bebe, Alex, Cate, Nzuri, and also the little cub, whose name was now known as Adia._

 _They stared blankly, as if looking into his very soul._

" _G- Guys?" Drew questioned, beginning to walk closer. He stopped in his tracks when they all spoke at the same time, startling him,_

" _YOU DID THIS TO US! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE! WHY DID YOU LET HIM GET AWAY, DREW? WHY?"_

 _They each spoke in a chilling, almost robotic tone._

 _Drew began to pale, shaking his head in denial, saying,_

" _No.. No, it's NOT my fault! It was Cartman's own doing! He started this war, and his Nazis managed to save him!"_

" _SAVE US, DREW!" They all robotically spoke in unison again. "SAVE US! THE WAR IS KILLING US!"_

 _Drew gasped in horror as he saw Bebe's very face melt away until it was bone.._

" _BEBE!" Drew yelled in fear, trying to rush forward. However, some seemingly unknown force within the dream was holding him back. He couldn't move!_

 _Soon after, everyone else's' faces melted off as well, all appearing to be still and dead. It was so lifelike! Drew began to tear up, looking at the deceased forms of his friends._

 _He was startled again, and he gasped, when the seemingly dead figures, snapped their gaze directly onto Drew. Drew heard the evident cracking of their necks as they turned his direction._

" _SAVE US! SAVE US! SAVE US!" They kept yelling._

 _Out of seemingly nowhere, a swarm of bats shot out of their bodies, flying directly into Drew._

" _No.. No-"_

"NO!" Drew yelled, sitting up in his bed in an intense sweat. He breathed heavily, and began to look around.

Drew took a deep breath, and tried to calm down.. This was his room.. He was safe.. _They_ were safe..

Drew looked over to his side, to see if Bebe was sleeping there, but to his surprise, she wasn't there! He widened his eyes and looked for Nzuri and Adia on their _own_ bed. _Nothing_!

Drew shot up from his bed and onto the floor, putting his clothes on. He was starting to _freak_ out! Where were they!?

"Drew, we have visitors!" Bebe's voice yelled from what sounded like the living room. Drew gave a sigh and held his forehead in relief.

' _See, Drew? It's FINE! You worry yourself too much..'_ Drew thought.

He finally opened his small bedroom door, and stepped out into the hall, and towards the living room.

Simba was looking at the little cub between Nzuri's paws. "Aww! She's so cute!"

Drew shot his gaze over towards the entirety of the living room, exhaling in relief to see that it was Jack, Kyle, and Simba coming over for a visit.

' _See? Nothing to worry about..'_ I thought to myself, trying to calm myself down and recover from that _chilling_ nightmare.

' _Just what was that about, anyways? Oh well, I have more important things going on, right now..'_

Drew walked into the living room, causing everyone to look at him with slight smiles. Except for Jack, he had a brooding expression on his face.

" _There_ he is! Slept long enough, haven't you? It's almost _noon_!"

' _Noon!?'_ Drew thought with widened eyes. He glanced at a small clock on the wall, and sure enough! 11:58. Two minutes to noon.

Drew then glanced over towards Jack, noticing his expression straight away. The thing was, it wasn't _completely_ obvious at all! He was doing a good job at hiding it, but it was the _small_ details in his eyes that gave it away.. The way he stood.. The way he stared.

Drew had studied that book on Psychology multiple times now, and he even went as far as doing _more_ research online. Just the _study_ of it all interested him greatly..

And now it appeared to be useful.. No one else in the room seemed to notice Jack's predicament, whatever it was, except for him..

His attention was returned to Simba, when the cub said joyfully, but quiet enough not to wake up Adia, "Hi little Adia!"

Adia mewed with a slight grin, playfully batting her paw at Simba's nose, accidentally scratching him a bit.

He laughed as he jumped back, trying to avoid a second swipe.

Kyle chuckled. "How old is she now?" He asked Nzuri.

Nzuri grinned weakly and replied,

"About 2 moons old by now.. She's no newborn, but still can't fully walk quite yet." She paused and gave a sigh. "She only _was_ just a newborn when I found her.. She laid just beside her mother.. Mauled by a hyena or something similar. I… Couldn't bear to see her die, so I took her as my own." Nzuri paused once more, giving a scowl. "Then that's when… _he_ showed up!"

Simba cocked a brow. "Who?"

Nzuri began to tear up, facing away from everybody so they wouldn't have to see her.

Drew sighed and knelt down beside Simba.

"He was a… a _very_ bad man, Simba. He hurt Nzuri _greatly_. So much so that we shouldn't bring him up around her, okay?" Drew spoke softly, but warned Simba that mentioning said man wouldn't be a great idea for future reference.

Simba nodded. "Sorry Nzuri. I didn't mean to-"

Nzuri waved it off with her paw, beginning to calm herself a bit.

"Oh, don't think anything of it, young one.. You didn't know. All that matters is-" Nzuri looked at each one of them, but mostly at Drew and Jack. "Is that I'm _safe_ from that monster at _last_! I can't thank Drew enough for agreeing to take me and young Adia in, in such a desperate time of need.. And for _you_ , Jack, for helping to take that psychopath _down_! Just.. thank you. Thank you all."

Jack nodded with a sad smile, but still seemed troubled.

Drew narrowed his eyes slightly, not in an angry way, but in a curious one. He was the _only_ one noticing this, and he didn't know what was wrong with Jack!

He _had_ to find out..

"Jack.." Drew called out, causing everyone to look his direction.

Jack looked up, before replying. "Yeah…?"

His tone was surprisingly reserved and wooden, not aggressive or hostile, just...polite, while his face kept that same brooding expression.

"What has you upset? Is everything okay?" Jack widened his eyes slightly. He thought he did a good job keeping it hidden from everyone..

He sighed.

"I..."

He looked away.

"Jack?" Kyle asked nervously.

Everyone had walked a bit closer, to keep things personal and serious. To show that they were here to listen.

"You know you can tell us anything, right?" Bebe asked. "We're your friends. It's alright.."

Jack hesitated, before he took a deep breath.

"Cartman's moving his army northwards. It looks like it's around thirty five thousand men at this point. He's moving towards Denver by the looks of it, and...the President has ordered my army to pursue him. We're moving out tomorrow morning."

Everyone gasped in shock, minus Drew, who simply looked down towards the ground in deep thought, as if already planning his next move.

"What!?" Bebe exclaimed. "You mean that fat fuck is going to be responsible for an all out _war_!? I mean, I know what you said yesterday, but I thought at _most_ it wouldn't last very long at all. But.. this sounds _very_ serious!"

Drew continued to look down, absorbing everyone's words, thinking,

' _To think, my friends, my love, my CHILD.. Has to live in a world like this.. Rapidly changing, but only in evil's direction..'_

Kyle looked down, closing his eyes.

Jack sighed, before he pulled out...a four star insignia from his pocket.

"Alex will keep a division here, to guard the town and our base of supplies, but I may be gone for a while..." Jack said. "I have been confirmed by Congress...as a Four Star General for the duration of the war."

This time even Drew had to look up a bit after hearing that news, thinking once more,

' _4 star General? A noble title, but one with much responsibility and stress.. One that Jack will certainly have to work hard at. He will be at the HEART of this fighting.. Well, I'll be damned if I let my friend die because of something I could've stopped yesterday! This war will END! Cartman will die, by MY hands..'_

"I hope you enjoy your _glorious_ victory..." Kyle spat.

Everyone froze, with Jack turning to Kyle, looking at him with a hurt expression.

"Kyle.." Bebe softly began, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we-"

"No!" Kyle growled. "He's leaving us! He's abandoning us!"

"War is a dangerous thing. One that is evil. Sometimes a necessary evil, but _still_ evil.." Nzuri commented with a sigh. "If there's anyone who I have faith in fighting a battle, though, it's Jack.. He protected us well from that _lunatic_ , along with Drew and Alex! He is smart, and he is strong."

Kyle looked down. "Go ahead. Go and do your duty to your country's flag! Go get more medals than you could ever use...Go and...get yourself killed..." He whimpered at the last part.

Jack looked at Kyle for a moment, before he looked to the others, at a loss of what to do.

Bebe looked off to the side, looking as if she didn't want to get involved. She could tell that Kyle was upset enough, despite her efforts.

Drew, however, simply looked at Jack with a blank expression. He too was in thought, planning his next move carefully.

"How close are Cartman and his men to Denver, Jack?" Drew questioned casually.

Jack looked up. "They're moving up Route 9. It'll take them a few days to get there."

He took a deep breath.

He turned to Kyle. But as he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out. He was at a loss for words.

Drew exhaled slightly. He figured he could help diffuse the situation some way.

"Kyle, I was _at_ the battle.. Not directly, nor did I fight, but I had to _run_ through battle zones to reach safety. The amount of blood.. The amount of death.. It was-" Drew paused for a bit, appearing mortified. "-Was _horrific_.. Bodies lay everywhere. Some even innocent people! Cartman and his Nazis.. They're _monsters_ , and they _need_ to be dealt with accordingly.."

Everyone stood in silence, but before anyone could speak, Drew turned to Jack.

"With that said, perhaps you could give Kyle just _one_ night to spend together? Just a night to put him more at ease? Have some fun.. Just lay back and enjoy yourselves.. Even if just for tonight."

Jack looked at him, before nodding.

"Kyle," he said softly.

The redhead looked at him. "I don't know how hard this must be. I never wanted this war. But you're _who_ I'm fighting for. You," he turned to Simba. "And you, are my family. I am fighting to protect you. But Drew's right..."

He added. "Kyle, tonight, you have me. We can do whatever you want. But I will be here for you. And I promise that...the moment this battle ends, I will come back to you, even if I have to walk a thousand miles through snow, sand, and rain."

He walked up to him, and looked him in the eye. "I won't leave you. No matter what happens, I will find my way back to you. But you _know_ that Cartman must be stopped. I am doing this because I won't let him hurt you..."

Kyle looked at Jack, before he tearfully hugged him. "Just...please be careful..."

"I promise..." Jack replied.

Drew could only stand there with a smirk, glad that everything could be sorted out. Bebe walked up to Drew and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm proud of you.." She whispered, beginning to look at them soon after. "It's a rough time for them.. The last thing they need is stress."

Drew nodded with a slight frown.

"Yes.. I agree." He replied, looking at the couple as well.

Jack looked at Drew, before smiling for the first time since Drew had seen him today.

Upon seeing this, Drew smiled in return, giving him a nod of 'you're welcome'.

Jack looked at Kyle. "Is there anything you would like to do?"

Kyle thought for a moment, before asking, "maybe...we could all go to dinner or something? I...kind of want us all to spend time together one last time before you...have to leave..."

Jack smiled sadly, before looking to the Bebe and Drew. "You guys want to join us?"

Bebe looked at Drew with a weak grin and stared him directly in the eye. She was trying to give a subtle hint that she wanted to.

Drew smirked at that and rolled his eyes slightly.

"Why not.." Drew replied in response, shrugging. "Could be fun."

Kyle grinned. "And Stan and Kenny too..."

He stopped. "They kind of wanted to talk to you anyway, Jack."

Jack cocked a brow. "Oh do they?"

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While the others waited for the table, Kenny and Stan pulled Jack aside.

Jack looked at them expectantly, awaiting what it was they had to say.

Kenny sighed, deciding he would start things off.

"Hey, so uh.. We just wanted to say.. Thanks. For looking after our best friend.."

Stan nodded and added,

"We've both had our doubts about you.. Some not even that long ago. But with that said, I can happily say with no doubt in my mind-" Stan and Kenny glanced at each other with happy grins. Stan turned to Jack and finished his sentence,

"We were _wrong_.."

Jack's eyes widened. He smiled slightly, before saying. "Guys, I didn't blame you for not trusting me," he looked towards the restaurant, to Kyle, who seemed to be in better spirits. "After what he went through...It's good that he had two friends who stood by him like that. I have no intention of hurting Kyle. I...I really do love him. With all my heart."

He looked down. "He is the reason I'm fighting in this war. Yes, I care about my country, it's people, and stopping Cartman, but my _number one_ goal is protecting him."

Kenny put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"And that's _all_ we can ask for.. Sure, we're overprotective at times. It's no secret. But it's only because we _love_ Kyle, and only want him to have the best in life.. Much like you do. Surely you can understand that more than anyone.."

Jack nodded. "I can. I just want him to be happy and safe..."

His face fell. "He deserves that. He's a _good_ person. I don't know if I can provide that, but I will try my damndest to...Because I made a promise to him...One I intend to keep."

Stan smiled at that, looking back over towards the table, seeing Kyle continuing to have a good time.

"Well, I think we've disturbed you long enough.. Let's get back to enjoying ourselves."

Jack nodded, and they headed back in.

Jack sat next to Kyle, while Stan and Kenny sat on the other side of him.

Jack wrapped an arm around Kyle's shoulder and kissed his forehead gently.

"What you feel like, babe?" He asked.

After they ordered their drinks, they began to chat. It felt good to be able to actually unwind. Even now, even when at war…

"You got a _water_?" Bebe cocked a brow in slight shock, looking at Drew. "You know in this hick town they don't care if you get alcohol at your age, right?" She smirked at him, slightly amused.

Drew forced a smirk of his own, replying,

"I don't do alcohol.. It always got in the way of my training."

Bebe rolled her eyes and elbowed him teasingly.

"Oh whateeeever.. Wuss.." She chuckled in a playful manner, causing Drew to roll his eyes as well.

He loved seeing her in such a good mood. That was always nice to see.

"You have sweet tea. What's up with _that_?" Drew tried to counter.

Bebe smirked and responded simply,

"Umm, maybe because you got me knocked up?"

Drew facepalmed slightly.

"Oh yeah.."

Everyone had to laugh at that.

Kyle whispered to Jack. "Someone call the fire department, he got burned..."

Everyone present laughed once more, Drew waving it off.

"Okay, okay.."

Jack chuckled, before commenting. "I have a funny story, actually...Well, Pickett told me at least."

He asked. "You guys know that single tree in the field by Stark's Pond?"

Drew smirked.

"You mean the one Cate gave Alex a hickey under?"

Everyone widened there eyes.

"Yeah, he _kinda_ told me about it and told me not to say anything.. Whoops."

"Lucky bastard.." Kenny muttered with a chuckle.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, Pickett said that a Marine here ended up getting into a fistfight with Mr. Garrison by that tree."

Everyone present laughed aloud.

"Dude no _way_!" Stan exclaimed gleefully. "What happened!?"

"Well, the marine gave him that black eye. And apparently he made friends with some of my soldiers, who proceeded to TP Mr. Garrison's house and remove Mr. Hat's...well hat and replace it with a dunce cap or something."

Once again, everyone couldn't help but laugh at Mr. Garrison's expense. Everyone except Drew.

He began to listen intently.

"He was _such_ a prick to us in Math, dude.." Kenny said. "I don't get how he's even _allowed_ to teach math. The good thing is there's not much homework.."

"Not as bad as Mr. Sanders..." Jack chuckled.

"Oh my God!"

"Fuck that guy!"

"Yeah, he's a _prick_!"

All those responses had come at the exact same time, signifying that Jack's statement was unanimously agreed upon.

Kyle piped up. "I read an interesting article today. The Democrats _and_ Republicans voted nearly unanimously to support the war effort. There are demonstrations across the country of everyone coming together against the common enemy. People call it "America United". I saw pictures of you and Alex on some posters too..." Kyle explained.

Jack cocked a brow. "Interesting. Who would have thought they'd agree on something."

"You can say _that_ again.." Stan said with a smirk and rolled eyes. "I may side with the Turd Sandwich, but the Giant Douche is only _slightly_ worse.. It's like picking your poison.."

Jack nodded.

They looked at the nearby TV, where the President seemed to be announcing something.

"Our hearts go out to those in the warzone in Park County." President Douglass declared. "We support General Anderson and our brave troops who fought in the Battle of Stark's Pond. We will not stop until we are victorious and these terrorists are brought to justice."

Drew noticed something else, on the bottom. "Attempted rape stopped in South Park. The teenage girl has requested to remain anonymous but mentions a "man in black" rescuing her."

Kenny pointed at the screen.

"Hey, Jack! You and Alex are on the news! That's awesome!"

Stan then squinted and looked at the bottom headline, noticing what Drew already had.

"'Man in black stops attempted rape'.. Some anonymous girl. Thank _God_! I'm tired of the _sick_ rapists in this town!"

Kyle smiled, but Jack could tell he was also still distressed by the notion of that kind of thing still happening.

Jack pulled him into a gentle hug again. "Hey, it's okay. Come on, tell me about the time when Kenny beat up Death again. That's a funny story."

Kyle chuckled. "I've told you a million-" He was cut off by Kenny.

"So _there_ I was.. Being chased by Death.." Kenny began the story overdramatically.

Everyone at the table laughed, Stan and Kyle rolling their eyes.

" _Here_ we go.." Stan joked.

As they continued to talk, Kyle finally asked. "So...any names for the baby yet...?"

Drew widened his eyes in shock. He hadn't expected that question.

"W- Well, I-" Drew began, but was cut off by an almost _giddy_ Bebe.

"That reminds me! Babe, I was gonna tell you this when you woke up, but now I guess I can tell you all at once." She looked at everyone present, who looked on curiously.

Drew cocked a brow.

' _What does she mean by that exactly? She DID go to the hospital with her Mom yesterday..'_ Drew cut his thoughts off and widened his eyes.

' _Could that mean..'_

"Guys," Bebe began excitedly. "me and Drew are having… a _girl_!"

Drew gasped in slight shock, as did everyone else. Smiles from everyone lit up the entire room. Even Drew smiled when he recovered from the news.

"Congratulations!" Jack exclaimed with a smile.

"A- A _daughter_!?" Drew questioned again with joyful glee, wanting to confirm what he heard was true. Bebe only nodded with a smile. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and said,

"Surprise!" Bebe giggled at the end of her sentence.

Drew smiled even wider than he had before.

"I can't _believe_ it! I'm gonna be a father soon, and have a _daughter_! This is just.. It's so _surreal_!" Drew could barely keep his _own_ excitement in now. This had _certainly_ made his entire day.

"I was thinking.." Bebe began, looking at Drew with a smile, putting her hand on his. "We name her Kenzi.."

Drew had to gasp at that. Had she- Really just _said_ that?..

His late sister.. Who had died from Leukemia when they were real young.. Bebe had _remembered_ when he told her about that. That was actually pretty _early_ on in their relationship, and he had only quickly run through it.

Drew was just in a state of shock.. No one had _ever_ listened to him or done something that meant so much to him in _years_..

Drew couldn't help but actually shed a tear. He hugged Bebe tightly and disappeared in her shoulder. He was reminiscing about his childhood, when his sister was still alive. She was one of his best friends in life, and they had gone through so much..

Bebe returned the embrace, holding him tightly.

"It's okay, Drew.. It's okay. If you don't _like_ the name, then-"

"No.." Drew interrupted, holding his hand up. He raised up to look her in the eyes with his tearful, blue ones. "It's _perfect_.."

Drew held her hands and weakly smiled.

"I.. I love you."

Bebe smiled in return, giving him a quick kiss.

"I love you too, Drew.. I'm grateful to have someone like you. I couldn't ask for a better man to share my life with!"

Drew continued to look at her all emotional and happy. He could still not _believe_ it! What a _day_ this had been so far! He wasn't sure if any other would truly top it.

He felt like the luckiest man alive!

Jack looked down. He didn't want to head off to war. Not now. He couldn't leave Kyle...He just couldn't…

He looked at the others, and said softly. "I'm going to hand over operational control of the Army to General Lee for the next two weeks." He said simply.

Dead silence…

Kyle looked at him with shock.

Drew snapped out of his emotional state and looked over at Jack, as did everybody else. He cocked a brow slightly, and tilted his head a little to the side in thought.

' _Certainly a sudden change of heart.. From what I can gather, it's mostly just out of emotion. He'll change his mind soon enough.. But even still, it's farther than I figured he might go. Regardless, this war is going to be BRUTAL.. No matter who's in charge! Probably more so if Jack isn't at the mantle..'_

Jack took a deep breath. "I will still supervise, and if need be, intervene, but I feel that we all deserve a bit of peace..."

He then added. "I don't want the country to have to live in fear of this war. I don't want _you_ guys, my family, to live in fear of this war. I want us to try and get back to normal as best as we can...for all our sakes."

"I will wait two weeks before joining the army on campaign." Jack finished.

Kyle looked at him, before he smiled a bit sadly, and hugged Jack.

After dinner, everyone went there separate ways. Jack noticed Kenny and Stan, as they headed to their cars, sent him a wave goodbye. Stan shouted from a good distance down the parking lot,

"See you tomorrow, you guys!"

Kyle waved back, before Jack waved goodbye to Drew and Bebe.

Bebe waved at the couple.

"Bye! Thank you for dinner!" She politely told them.

Drew merely nodded at them, in a way that said, 'what she said'.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kyle and Jack walked up to Kyle's house nervously. His mom had just texted him, "we need to talk. Come home by 9."

They were startled to see the front door slam open. However, instead of seeing Sheila, they _instead_ saw Gerald. He was mumbling angrily to himself, and looked _boiling_ mad at something. Kyle had never seen his Dad this way before.. He hadn't seen Jack or Kyle yet, so he was most likely mad at someone else.

"Dad?" He asked.

Gerald jumped in absolute shock and turned to face Kyle and Jack. His face turned to that of anger, to that of a friendly smile.

"Oh, h- hey there, Kyle! Jack.. What're you boys doing here? Thought Kyle might be staying at your house tonight?"

Kyle cocked a brow. "Um…ma said she wanted to talk to me." He replied, a little confused.

"Oh, so _that's_ what she was so mad about.." Gerald said in realization. "Oh yeah, she's definitely pissed at something.. Be careful, boys. I'm off to do some filing at the office.. Just realized I didn't get that _completely_ done today, and grrr! It's just got me so.. _darn_ mad." He chuckled at the end.

Jack and Kyle watched him go, with Jack getting this...strange vibe. He couldn't quite place it, but something was wrong. He was cut off when Sheila stepped onto the porch.

"Kyle, come over here this instant!" She said. Kyle didn't _like_ where this was going. That tone usually meant he was in some sort of serious trouble.. Either him, or someone else.. Sometimes both.

Kyle walked up, and asked nervously. "Yes ma?"

"Come on inside. You're staying home for awhile.."

Kyle blinked. "But I thought-"

Sheila shook her head.

" _Now_ , Kyle! Please get inside!"

Kyle reluctantly headed inside. Jack was starting to get nervous. He had a very bad feeling about this…

Sheila watched as Kyle headed upstairs, seemingly to his room. When she saw that he was gone, she walked outside and shut the door, staring daggers at Jack, saying,

"I'll only say this once.. You are not to see my Kyle again. You will keep _away_ from him! Understand?"

Jack's eyes widened, and he couldn't say anything, before he took a deep breath, and headed to his car. He got in, and drove off. When he turned the corner, he pulled over, and punched the steering wheel while he yelled in anger and pain.

Meanwhile, Kyle sat on his bed, listening to his mom stomp up the stairs to his room. She opened the door, and immediately began to walk towards him.

She took a deep breath, and began to speak,

"Kyle.. I'll just come right out and say it." Kyle looked at her with absolute _fear_ on his face. He had a feeling of what was coming, but still wanted to deny it would happen. "I don't want you seeing Jack, _anymore_."

Kyle's eyes widened. "What?!" He whimpered.

"And I _mean_ it, young man!" She sternly stood her ground. "He's only putting you in _complete_ danger! Like that _war_ he started yesterday! He had _complete_ disregard for your safety! Instead of rushing you home like he _should_ have, he instead fought his silly little 'battle'! It's like a _game_ to him! He only sees you as an _object_.. Something you are definitely _not_! He's just taking you along for the ride, because he thinks it's ' _fun_ '.. Well no more!"

Kyle looked at her in shock, before he tried to speak, "he doesn't-"

" _Yes_ he does, Kyle!" Sheila snapped. She then sighed and calmed down slightly. "You might not see it now, but you'll _thank_ me later.. I _understand_ how difficult this feels and how 'wrong' you might think I am, but it's only for your own _good_.."

Kyle looked down, before he felt tears begin to flow, he looked down, before his eyes shot open.

"No you don't!" He snapped coldly.

Sheila gasped.

" _Excuse_ m-"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND A FUCKING _THING_!" Kyle screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Jack is a _great_ man! He's my hero! He's been there for me so much! He _cares_ about me! He _loves_ me!" He stood up, and added. "And I _love_ him! And always will!"

Sheila had her eyes widened in shock, but quickly recovered and stood her ground.

" _Does_ he!? And I'll bet he's leaving for some sort of fucking war _very_ soon, _isn't_ he!?"

"He _was_. But he's staying! For _me_!" Kyle replied.

Sheila chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh, he 'was', was he? When men his type say 'was', it _never_ truly _means_ such a thing.. I understand their kind. I know from _experience_! What _else_ is there for me to say to get _through_ to you!?"

"Just because _you_ made a bad choice doesn't mean I'm making one! Am I a result of that 'bad choice'?! And how would you know what type of man Jack is?! You let Stan and Kenny come over all the time, but never Jack! Why?! Is it because you disagree with me being gay?!"

Sheila gasped in shock.

"Wha- no, _Kyle_!" She yelled. "Don't be _ridiculous_! It's not because you're 'gay'.. It's because his motives are _easily_ seen through. I know a no good _bastard_ when I see one! He may be acting all nice now, but that's how they _get_ you!" She stood in silence, Kyle staring daggers at her. She sighed, and finished,

"It's because I _love_ you, Kyle.. And I _don't_ want to see you get hurt again! You've gone through _too_ much in life to-"

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ BRING THAT UP!" Kyle yelled. "JACK HAS BEEN THERE FOR ME _EVERY_ TIME I NEEDED HIM! HE'S A GOOD MAN! HE'S A GOOD _PERSON_! I KNOW FOR A _FACT_ HE'D NEVER HURT ME! BUT YOU WOULDN'T! BECAUSE YOU _NEVER_ GAVE HIM A CHANCE! YOU'VE MET HIM _TWO_ TIMES!"

"YOU WILL _NOT_ SCREAM AT ME IN THIS HOUSE, KYLE!" Sheila shot back. "Me and your Father are the ones who _got_ you through that traumatizing time of your life! It scared us half to _death_! We've done _everything_ for you! When we say something is bad, it's to help _you_ in the long run! You're being emotional, and you're not seeing things _clearly_!"

Kyle looked away. "Fuck off..." He muttered.

Sheila gasped.

"What, what, _WHAT_!" She yelled in anger. She picked up a nearby chair in her peripheral vision and tossed it at a closet door in his room in pure rage, putting a hole in it.

"IF YOU'RE GONNA SWEAR AT ME IN THIS HOUSE, THEN YOU CAN JUST GET THE HELL OUT!" Kyle stood there dumbfounded, and looked in shock.

"But-" Kyle began, before he was interrupted by a hard smack to the face, with enough force to knock him to the ground.

"GET OUT!" She yelled.

In that _very_ moment, Sheila's expression went from ballistic, to shocked. She appeared to be in disbelief! Had she _really_ just did that!?

Kyle looked up at her with a _terrified_ expression on his face. His emerald eyes were filled with tears, and a red mark was on his face.

"K- Kyle, I-" She began.

He got up and rushed out the door and began to run down the stairs.

"Kyle, _wait_!" She yelled after him, but it was too late.. He was gone..

She sat down on Kyle's bed with a tremble. Sheila eyes the hole she had created in her son's closet door, and began to cry. She laid down on the bed and just let _all_ the emotions pour out..

Meanwhile, Kyle rushed down the street, before he remembered he didn't have his phone!

He looked around frantically. Jack's house was too far to walk, but…

Stan!

He rushed to Stan's house, and knocked on the door frantically.

When the door opened, he saw that it was Stan.

"Oh, hey dude! What's u-" He immediately gasped when he saw the red mark on Kyle's tearful face. "WHAT THE FUCK! Get inside! Jesus _Christ_.."

Kyle broke down as he walked inside. He tried his best to explain to Stan what happened, but he wasn't sure he was even coherent.

"Your _Mom_ did this to you!?" Stan asked, trying to confirm if he heard all that correctly.

Kyle nodded. "I...Jack! Can you drive me to Jack's?" He whimpered.

Stan didn't respond in words, his only response being grabbing his keys off the kitchen table.

"Get in the car.. I'll get you there. Come on." Stan said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack was still in his car, still numb. Had that _really_ happened?!

Did Kyle's mom _really_ break them up?

He noticed headlights in his rearview, and turned to see Stan's car in his driveway.

Stan exited the car and quickly walked to Jack's car, upon seeing him inside. He knocked on his window, waiting for him to roll it down.

"What?" Jack asked tersely, avoiding direct eye contact.

"Dude," Stan seriously began. "you'd better get Kyle inside.. He's with me. He just got into a _horrible_ fight with his Mom.."

Jack's mood instantly changed, and he opened the door so fast that Stan had to jump back to avoid getting hit.

He saw Kyle had exited the car, and Jack's eyes widened when he saw Kyle's expression, and the red mark on his face.

Kyle rushed towards him, and latched onto him, sobbing. Jack immediately helped him inside the house, before he took him to the living room, and sat down on the couch.

"Easy," he said gently. "Easy, I'm here. I'm here. I gotcha." As Kyle continued his breakdown.

Stan had already called Kenny on his way inside, to which Kenny was already halfway there by the time the call had even ended.

He sighed and decided to get ahold of Drew and Bebe as well. Stan didn't wish to bother Bebe in case she was in the middle of something important pregnancy-wise, so he called Drew's cell.

Meanwhile, Drew was at the library once more, browsing some more potential books with Marian..

He smiled upon picking up a fairly thick book titled, ' _Criminology'_.

"My, you really love learning of the different studies, don't you?" Marian commented.

Drew gave a slight chuckle, before replying,

"Yeah, I guess I do. I don't know why. They just appeal to me!"

As Marian was about to reply, Drew's cell phone went off, causing him to jump in surprise. He had forgot to set it on vibrate.

"Sorry.." Drew apologized, but Marian waved it off.

"Don't worry about it.. It's probably important."

Drew nodded thankfully and looked at the Caller ID. It was Stan!

He cocked a brow of confusion. What did he want?

"Hello?" Drew answered the phone. Marian watched him as he listened to what Stan had to say on the phone.

Drew's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh.. Oh, Lord. I- Okay.. Yeah, I'll be there soon.. Bye."

Drew hung up the phone, and shook his head towards Marian.

"What seems to be the trouble? If that _is_ within my line of questioning?" Marian curiously asked.

Drew sighed.

"My friend got into it _bad_ with his Mom.. It's just- Bad deal.."

Marian looked down, nodding in understanding.

"Well, I give him my thoughts and prayers.." She smiled warmly, trying to stay optimistic.

Drew smiled in return.

"Thanks, Marian.. I'm sure he would appreciate that."

Drew appeared ready to get his selected books and leave, before Marian stopped him.

"You know, Drew.. I've only ever seen you browse the _front_ of the store. Have you considered going back a bit _farther_?"

Drew looked down, and shook his head. She made a good point.. Why _didn't_ he ever browse more than just the front?

Out of curiosity, Drew decided to venture further beyond the first several bookshelves. He took a look around, and saw what must have been _thousands_ of books of _all_ different genres! Some fictional, others nonfictional..

As he went further back, a certain section _immediately_ caught his eye..

It appeared much more _colorful_ than the rest of the store. There were murals of what looked like _superheroes_.. Ones that were _very_ familiar to Drew!

"Wow.." Drew muttered, almost like a wondrous child. "Marvel characters! They got Spiderman, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four, X-Men.. They got _everything_.."

"Sure do! And so much more!" A voice spoke slightly behind Drew, which startled him slightly.

' _That voice..'_ Drew thought to himself. ' _It sounds strangely familiar..'_

When Drew turned to see who had spoken to him, he just about fainted!

"S- Stan _Lee_!?" Drew exclaimed in shock.

Stan Lee walked up to Drew and chuckled slightly.

"Sure am. Nice to meet ya!" He shook Drew's hand with a slight smile. "We _are_ in a library though, keep in mind." Stan Lee teased.

"Oh, s- sorry about tha-" Drew began, before Stan Lee waved it off.

"I'm just messin' around with ya, kid.. All in good fun." They stood in silence for a bit, before Stan walked towards one of the bookshelves. "So.. you a fan of any of my comics?"

Drew smiled warmly.

"You kidding? Marvel has the best heroes _ever_!"

Stan Lee chuckled slightly and gave a smile.

"I'm glad you like it.. You a Spiderman guy? X-Men? Fantastic Four? I have it _all_.."

Drew still had that smile plastered on his face, before he responded,

"Definitely Spiderman!"

"Oh, Spiderman.. Good choice! Always _did_ like that webslinger!"

Stan Lee pointed out to a particular section, showing a variety of Spiderman comics.

"Woah.." Drew gawked. He was simply in a state of _shock_! There were so _many_ of them. It was then that something _else_ came to his mind.

"So Stan? Would you mind if I asked you something?"

Stan Lee nodded.

"Sure."

"What brings you here to South Park anyways? To this store?"

Stan Lee replied simply with a smile.

"I was nearby, and decided to visit my little sister, Marian.. Her love of books and stories is _just_ as good as mine, if not better." He chuckled. "She was gracious enough to let me set up my own comic section up in here.. But it's a shame, because no one ever really comes in here very often.." Stan Lee looked down, slightly upset that not very many would get to experience the stories that laid within the library.

Drew looked at Stan Lee with slight pity. He had felt terrible before that not many people appeared to be in here, but now he felt even _worse_!

"Well, Stan.." Drew began. "If it's of any help, _I_ love being in here reading these stories."

Stan Lee's face immediately lit up. He put a hand on Drew's shoulder and replied,

"And I suppose that's _all_ that counts.. It matters not if it's a thousand people, a hundred people, or even just _one_ person like you.. As long as these stories reach the hearts of those that read them, and bring joy to their life, then that's _all_ that really matters in the end.."

Drew smiled at that. Stan Lee was always one to talk positive.

"Mind if I ask you something else?" Drew questioned.

"Of course.." Stan Lee said.

"Well.." Drew began. "What's your favorite part about writing these comics? What keeps you going?"

Stan Lee's response was simple.

"Well, kid, the answer is actually not a very complex one. Once again, I would have to say it's the _smiles_ on peoples' faces everytime they see one of my creations.. The _joy_ they feel as they're doing it.. Just seeing their _lives_ change for the greater good. Seeing them get through _hard_ times and come out on top, much like my superheroes! And if there's _any_ superhero more _mighty_ than Thor, _stronger_ than The Hulk, and as strong minded as Spiderman, it's the _fans_ and the people who read my stories every day. It's because of _them_ that I know I've succeeded at at least _something_ in life.. And _that's_ what matters to me."

Drew stood there absolutely _stunned_ by Stan the Man's answer.. Truly wise words from a great man..

"As a matter a fact, Drew, I have something for you."

Drew gasped.

"You know my name?" Drew questioned in shock.

Stan Lee could only smile.

"Marian has told me _so_ much of you already.. She mentioned that you've been her _greatest_ customer.. And I want to thank you _personally_.. For helping her out, and also for being an _amazing_ fan and part of the Marvel universe!"

Stan Lee reached into a drawer of some desk, and pulled out what _looked_ to be a comic book. Only it didn't look like a comic book that Drew had ever _seen_ before.

He looked on at it in slight shock. Was he..

Stan Lee extended his arm, holding out the comic book.

"Here you go, Drew.. It's a Spiderman comic book that I've been working on _personally_ for the past few months now.. It's done now, but hasn't been released yet. I want _you_ to have it.."

Drew widened his eyes and took the comic book. Upon staring at the cover, he saw an image of Symbiote Spiderman fighting _Venom_ somehow!

' _Oh man!'_ Drew thought in excitement. ' _I wonder how THAT happens!'_

And at the bottom of the cover, Stan Lee had signed his name, himself.

This comic was sure to be something _special_!

"W- Wow.. Thank you, Stan Lee!"

Stan Lee nodded with a smile.

"Anytime, my young friend.."

"Would- Would you mind if we took a picture?" Drew asked him. This was a _once_ in a lifetime opportunity! He had to savor the moment somehow!

"Absolutely." Stan Lee agreed.

The two then stood beside each other and took a couple of pictures. Drew looked at them with a smile.

' _Just wait until I tell everyone about THIS!'_ Drew thought to himself.

Drew held his book on Criminology, a few others he selected, and also the signed comic book, and sighed in remembrance.

"I have to go, Stan.." Drew sadly proclaimed. "I have a friend who needs my help.."

Stan Lee waved him off, and tried to boost his spirits,

"Hey, no worries, kid! Helping a friend in need is very important. To him or her, who knows? In a way, _you_ could be their hero, too!"

Drew smiled upon hearing that.

"It's been good meeting you, Stan Lee!" Drew said. "Will I ever see you again?"

Stan Lee replied,

"I'll have to be heading back to New York in the morning. I have another cameo to film for the upcoming Avengers movie. If I ever find myself back South Park's way, be certain you can find me here."

Drew nodded with a smile.

"I'll remember that.. Thank you, Stan Lee! Thanks, again!"

Stan Lee waved him goodbye.

"Excelsior!" Stan Lee said.

With that, Drew exited the library, and into the night, preparing to head over to Jack's house. His mind was more at ease it seemed like.. More at _peace_..

Stan Lee's words would stick with him forever.

 **A/N: This particular scene is a tribute to the late Stan Lee. This is my show of gratitude, and my farewell, to such a** _ **legendary**_ **and amazing man.. Thank you, Stan Lee. For my very childhood, and for all that you've done. You've inspired** _ **countless**_ **people over the years, including myself. Marvel's most powerful superhero isn't Spiderman. Isn't the Hulk. Not even Thor.. But** _ **you**_ **, Stan Lee. Not all heroes wear capes or have superpowers, and you are the world's prime example. God bless your soul. Rest in peace.. - Drew (AKA LionKingIsAwesome)**

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Drew arrived to see Jack holding Kyle, who was still crying. While it was faded, Drew did notice the slightest hint of red on Kyle's face.

Stan and Kenny were sitting beside the couple, looking extremely worried. They hoped to _God_ that Kyle would be okay after all this.. But from what it looked like, whatever happened in that house was _bad_!

Jack looked up at Drew for a second. His eyes showed both extreme sadness, but Drew detected anger in them. Not at him, but he could still see that Jack was _pissed_.

Drew didn't bother sitting down. It didn't feel appropriate to him.

"How are you holding up?.." Drew questioned softly to Kyle.

"I..." He stopped, before taking a deep breath, and saying a little more calmly. "I lost everything...She told me to get out, before she slapped me...I could see in her eyes that she _hated_ me..."

He sobbed again, and Jack pulled him close. "Shh...it's okay. Breathe...just breathe...you're safe here...we're all here for you Kyle."

Drew just felt _horrible_ for Kyle.. Especially the other three in the room. For the first time in a good while, Drew was at a _loss_.. He wasn't quite sure what to do..

But then, he remembered some words from the _wise_ man he had spoken to just earlier; about his stories bringing joy to those who may need it most.. About being an unexpected hero to those you might not expect..

As much as Drew didn't fully want to _do_ the idea, he knew it was the _righteous_ thing to do.. He knew that's what Stan Lee would want..

Drew approached Kyle and bent down slightly.

"Kyle?" Drew said, trying to get his attention.

Kyle looked up, awaiting what Drew wanted to say.

Drew sighed.

"I _have_ something for you that I think you might like.." Drew reached into his bag that he had brought in and pulled out the Spiderman comic book, handing it to Kyle.

Kyle took it, and his eyes widened.

"It's _signed_ by Stan Lee?!" He asked in shock.

Jack's eyes widened, and he looked at Drew in surprise, before smiling.

"Sure is.." Drew answered. "It's one of a kind.."

Kyle smiled happily, and looked up at Drew. "Thank you _so_ much!"

Drew smiled in a bittersweet manner. It sucked that he couldn't hold on to such a gem, but Kyle needed it _much_ more than he did..

And that's what Stan Lee was all about.

"No problem.. Take good care of it." Drew said.

Kyle nodded. "I will!"

Kyle smiled sadly. He looked at Drew. "Thank you Drew."

"Thank you Stan and Kenny." He said to both of his best friends.

Then he looked at Jack. "And...thank you for being here when I needed you."

He looked down.

"I was going to ask-"

"You're always welcome here," Jack declared. "You will _always_ have a home here. I _promise_ I'll take care of you, Kyle."

Kyle smiled, and leaned against Jack before he asked. "Would...you guys like to read it with me?"

Stan and Kenny looked at each other, and smiled.

"Sure, dude!" Stan replied. "I love Spiderman!"

Drew had to smile as well. It seemed the magic of Stan Lee was already taking effect..

Besides, he _really_ wanted to see what Symbiote Spiderman VS Venom would be like, or how it would even _occur_..

"I'm in." Drew answered.

After they finally finished reading it, Kyle had to smile. He seemed genuinely happy.

Jack chuckled, before he looked to the others. "That was an amazing comic, Drew!"

Kyle nodded. "I loved it! I grew up with Spiderman and Iron-Man comics...You don't know how much this means to me, Drew."

Drew grinned and replied,

"Well.. A wise man told me that bringing joy to others through the art of stories is what he loves most in life.. And so I figured I'd give it to someone who I consider special. One of my greatest friends."

Kyle smiled gently. Jack looked at the clock. "Wow...it's already 12:30..."

Kyle yawned a bit. "Well, that settles it." Jack said with a chuckle.

He helped Kyle up, and as they walked towards Jack's room, Jack turned and held up his hand to signal for them to stay there for a second. After a minute, he returned.

Kyle was in the room, changing.

Jack took a deep breath. "You don't know how much _I_ can thank all three of you. I...don't know _what_ we'd do if you weren't here. He needs all of us right now. That much is certain. I just..." he trailed off.

"I don't know what to do now. It's clear that he needs me, but I can't bare the thought of making things worse for him in any way...What if-"

He was cut off by Stan.

"I'm sure things can't be _any_ worse for him here than in that house.. Let's be honest. I mean, look, Sheila is a great person, but she can sometimes go a little fucking overboard!" Stan paused for a bit and added softly,

"You're not giving yourself enough credit.. You've shown me _nothing_ that makes me think you aren't capable of keeping Kyle happy. And I _mean_ that, dude.. So does Kenny."

Jack looked over at Kenny, to which Kenny nodded in response, confirming his statement to be true.

Jack took a deep breath. "I love him, and it kills me that all this is happening. That this war occured, that his own mother hurt him, and..." he stopped. He looked down. "I want to protect him. But sometimes I just don't know if I can..."

Drew spoke up this time.

"I agree.. This war _shouldn't_ have happened." There was a slight pause. "But if we stick together, and help one another through these dark times, then, well.. we'll be alright." He smiled slightly at the end, trying to bring a feeling of optimism.

Jack smiled slightly. "I never thought, when I moved here, that this would be us in a month...But I wouldn't trade it for the world. You guys are my best friends. You guys are like my _brothers_. Kyle and Simba...they're my family. I can't bare to lose any of you...That's why I'm so nervous. Because I have a country, a town, an army, brothers, and a _family_ depending on me..."

Drew, Stan, and Kenny all smiled warmly. They didn't say anything in response, waiting for him to potentially say more, but their expressions clearly showed that they couldn't agree more.

Sure, there was plenty of dark times going on currently. But as long as they were together, they felt like they could overcome anything.

Jack took a deep breath. "My grandfather used to tell me, he joined the army for the hardship. To pass any test a man can pass. He just said that all he ever wanted was a single thing worth fighting for...And I've found it..."

"Family is all that really matters in the end.." Drew said. "No matter _what_ you have to do for them, or what you have to overcome.. As long as they're safe and taken care of, then you know you've done what you were supposed to.."

Jack nodded with a smile. He looked down. "Funny..." He chuckled after a bit.

"I find my soulmate in a place that was always going to be a stepping stone. I was going to leave the moment I got my diploma...But now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Drew looked down, responding,

"Yeah.. We _have_ had some good times in South Park, haven't we?.."

Jack nodded. "We are a band of _brothers_ , and we always will be..."

He looked at Stan and Kenny. "I would never want to separate Kyle from you guys…anyway. Hell, I doubt you'd _let_ me!"

He then cocked a brow, and began to laugh.

Stan and Kenny both cocked a brow of their own.

"What's funny?" Kenny asked.

"I just got the image of the two of you walking Kyle down the aisle..."

"Aw, _dude_!" Stan exclaimed, not angry, but a little embarrassed.

For the first time in a while, Kenny began to murmur something that was muffled from his hoodie, so it wasn't audible. It was clear that Kenny felt the same as Stan, however.

Jack shrugged. "Yeah..."

Drew's response was pretty simple. He half joked,

"Well it's certainly been a _long_ night.. Wouldn't you say?"

Jack shrugged again. "Yeah. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He stopped. "Stan, thanks for taking him over here...Thanks everyone for being here for us."

Stan waved his hands dismissively.

"Dude, don't even _thank_ us for that.. It's what friends do. _Best_ friends! We help each other out when we need it most. It was the _least_ I could do for Kyle.."

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Jack walked in to see Kyle had finished changing. The smaller redhead turned to face him, and smiled sadly. Jack smiled back, and walked forward, before pulling him into a hug.

"I love you," Kyle whispered. "I love you to. I always will..." Jack replied.

After changing into his pajamas(and to his amusement, noticing Kyle staring as he did so, though Jack didn't acknowledge it), he climbed into bed, with Kyle joining him. As usual, he snaked him arm around the skinny redhead as Kyle rested against his chest.

He pulled the comforter over them.

Jack noticed that Kyle seemed to be trying to get as close as humanly possible to him in this moment. For the first time, he stopped wondering why Kyle loved him so much, _trusted_ him so much.

One thing was clear; Kyle trusted him with his life. That fact alone gave Jack hope. He would do his best to make good on that trust. To show Kyle all the love he deserved.

Kyle felt safe…

Even now, after all he had endured, he felt safe in Jack's arms. He had never felt anything like this before he had met Jack. He didn't know what the future held, but in his mind, it was one thing, true love.

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Jack opened the door to see Alex had decided to stop by.

They saluted each other before Jack welcomed Alex in his home.

Jack motioned for him to come in. "Thanks for stopping by, man."

"Ah, it's no problem. Pickett o' Crisps said he'd contact me if anything went south," Alex replied.

Jack nodded. "Lord knows Kyle needs all the support we can give."

"The last thing he needed was a catastrophe like this. Things like this can be easily prevented, but they can be massively difficult to end. I'm determined to end it as soon as possible," Alex said.

Jack nodded again, before they headed into the living room to see Kyle was reading the Spiderman comic, with a hot chocolate cup in his free hand.

"Oh, Alex! You won't believe this! Drew gave me this new Spiderman comic, and it's signed by Stan Lee!"

"Bloody hell! I'd've loved to have met him! He's definitely one of my biggest inspirations," Alex exclaimed.

Jack nodded.

"I don't even think this one has been released yet!" Kyle added.

"I'm beginning to think Stan Lee is an actual 'Eternal'... you know what that is, right?" Alex asked.

Jack shook his head, but Kyle nodded. "The Eternals are basically a race of immortal and extremely powerful aliens." Kyle explained.

Jack nodded. "It would explain his creativity..."

Alex then focused on a particular noun on one of the pages of the comic…

'The Avengers'

He smirked as an idea entered his head.

Jack and Kyle both noticed that. Kyle realized what he was getting at.

"They could help us out..." He mused.

"They could provide a more precise aerial advantage. I mean, it might be weird when there are two Thors," Alex chuckled.

Jack chuckled, before he got an idea.

"I say we activate _two_ elite units for our army today..."

"Oh? Who do you have in mind?" Alex replied with the question.

Jack grinned, before activating his lightsaber.

Kyle's eyes widened. "The Jedi?"

Alex then immediately jumped up and down while clapping his hands. "This is going to be epic!" he exclaimed with a child-like voice.

Jack nodded, before adding. "We're going to have both Jedi and Sith work together this time. We'll need someone to keep them working together though..."

He grinned. "Think Simba will like meeting his heroes? And...favorite villain?"

"He'll be elated… but not as much as me!" Alex laughed.

Kyle laughed. "Are you sure about that?"

Simba had finally woken up, and was walking down the stairs, before he noticed Alex. "Uncle Alex!" He yelled happily, rushing up to and nuzzling Alex's leg.

"Hey, buddy!" Alex smiled as he stroked the lion cub's soft fur. "Wow, you're getting big! It seems like yesterday that you came to us," he added.

Simba grinned, before asking. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about how we could get an upper hand in this war with that mean-face," was Alex's response.

Simba asked enthusiastically. "Ooh! How?"

"Well, you know that group of superheroes in that film we watched?" Alex said. To this, Simba could only gasp.

"You're not saying…"

"We're going to replicate them, and Darth Vader, Jedi and Sith," Jack said.

Simba's eyes widened. "NO WAY!" He yelled enthusiastically.

Jack chuckled. "I'm calling it the Praetorian Initiative. A Praetorian was basically an elite soldier in Rome." Jack explained to the others.

He then thought for a moment. "I think Vader should coordinate all three groups, with Captain America, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine being the leaders of the three divisions, the Avengers, Jedi and Sith."

Jack then asked. "Any objections?"

"I think that's good," Alex responded.

Jack nodded. "We have space for fifteen heroes of that level of power on the Replicator, plus a new Army Division, so I think seven Jedi or Sith and seven Avengers would be good, plus Vader? Any suggestions Alex?"

"Okay, so the original six Avengers, they go without saying. Hmmm… oh, I know! Vision; not only is he incredibly strong and durable, and he's a tough fighter, but he has a freaking Infinity Stone in his head!" Alex decided.

Jack nodded. "So the original six plus Vision, Vader as the leader, and a few of the most powerful Jedi Knights and Sith Lords for the Jedi team...Alright."

He thought for a moment, before typing it all down.

"Alright."

"General Jack? General Alex?" General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Colorado and it's three Corps, asked.

"Wait… that's not…" Alex stuttered as he thought he recognised his face.

"Robert E. Lee. Commander of the Army of Colorado, and our second in command." Jack said.

"It's an honour to meet you, sir," Alex said as he saluted the General.

Lee nodded. "The honor's all mine." He said as he saluted back.

"Generals, the President has landed in this area. He and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would like to meet with us."

Jack's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Alex in surprise.

"Can you believe this?" He asked.

"Talk about timing," Alex responded.

Jack thought for a moment. "Perhaps...now could be the time to unveil our new initiative? "

"I think that's a good idea," Alex said.

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Jack and Alex led their new team towards the Headquarters of the Army.

As they approached, they noticed several Secret Service personnel, a man in a military uniform, who Jack recognized as Stephen Kendal, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, speaking with Robert E. Lee.

"Generals." Lee said as he saluted them.

"I thought General Lee had passed before I was born?" Steve Rogers commented.

"Huh, so you're not that old after all. Just roll with it, Cap. A lot of things we thought we knew has been made false by that Jack dude," Tony Stark replied.

"We have a job to do here. Try not to upset the President." Obi-Wan commented.

"Woah, you're a perfect hybrid of Alec Guiness and Ewan McGregor," Alex commented as he inspected Obi-Wan.

"I have no idea who those people are, but I thank you nonetheless for what I assume is a marvellous compliment," Obi-Wan replied.

Vader interjected. "Come, it seems we are to meet with the Commander in Chief."

As they entered the headquarters, they found the five replicator-made division commanders, as well as the overall commander of the American units that had arrived here, Major General Ben Carville, the three Corps Commanders, including the newest one, Erwin Rommel, and General Lee. On the other side of the table was President James Douglass, Secretary of Defense Howard Becker, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Stephen Kendal.

"Alright," President Douglass began. "First of all, I must say that the performance of your force has been exceptional. And I want you to know that the country supports you."

"More to say, you have, though?" Yoda deduced.

"Dude, why do you speak like a Roman who speaks English?" Alex asked of the little green creature who was sitting next to Obi-Wan.

Yoda chuckled. "Seem I so strange to you, hmm?"

"Yeah, just a bit," Alex replied as he made a C with his index finger and thumb.

The president chuckled a bit. "Yes, actually." He looked to his Secretary Howard, and Chairman Kendal.

"We are organizing two Army Groups," Kendal began. "Your Army of Colorado will fall under the authority of Army Group West and General Whelan. However, he has agreed to give your force...operational autonomy in operating in Colorado. But you are to follow his orders." His tone indicated that he was suspicious of them, and most likely wasn't satisfied with just 'operational autonomy'".

Jack was about to reply, before Steve interjected,

"May I remark that our strength is in freedom of operation? We follow orders to an extent, but to work at our greatest ability, we require that freedom."

"Agreed." General Rommel added. "The Army of Colorado succeeded yesterday because everyone was encouraged to think creatively and act according to the situation while following a _general_ order."

He then added. "No general in a Command Center knows the situation at the front more then the officer and soldier at that front."

The Chairman bristled slightly. "That may be, but may I remind you that you are under the authority of the United States Military?"

Jack crossed his arms, before replying. "May I remind you that this is _our_ army? We operate in _concert_ with the United States military, but only one of the six divisions here is federal. The rest were created by us. And all six are supplied by us. We are allies, not subordinates."

"And therefore we should act like allies. We should utilise each other's strengths instead of trying to compromise, and by extension, increasing our risk of defeat," Alex commented.

"Our goal is the destruction of Cartman's army." Darth Maul spoke up, crossing his arms. "It is not in our interest to challenge each other..."

"What need do we have for all of this bureaucracy when, with the full might of the Odinson, we could wipe out our enemy in one fell swoop?" Thor asked.

"Probably could with post-Ragnarok Thor," Alex muttered.

"Come again?" Thor asked as he thought he heard a certain word.

"Nevermind," Alex added.

"The _point_ ," President Douglass interceded. "Is that we have an enemy army on United States soil and we have the means to defeat them."

He looked to the others. "You will have Freedom of Operation, and control of all American forces west of the Mississippi River."

The Chairman looked thunderstruck by that comment, but didn't reply.

Jack blinked in stunned silence, before nodding. "Um, thank you Mister President..."

"Wise choice..." Master Windu spoke. "General Anderson is young, but wise. Same with General Pearson. We won't disappoint you."

"What I would pay to get him and Nick Fury in the same room," Alex whispered to Jack.

Jack chuckled, before he nodded. "Very well, I will organize my Unified Western Command immediately."

President Douglass nodded. "On my end of the bargain, I want an all-American Field Army to operate as part of this Command."

Jack nodded. "Of course."

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Jack, Kyle, Alex and Cate walked through the headquarters, where Jack was giving a tour.

"So you two are really in command of all forces in this half of the US?" Kyle asked in awe.

"Indeed. The first British-born US Army general in… how many years?" Alex wondered.

Jack chuckled. "Over two-hundred I think."

As they spoke, they saw General Pickett was talking with General Ames.

"You know, I remember at Stark's Pond, that there was this skinny little tree that a company of men had to hide behind during a cannonade. If a shell came one way the line swayed to the other side like a blade of grass. If a shell came the other way, the line would sway back this way. Hell of a thing to see..."

"My boys mention seeing that." Ames chuckled. "That was one hell of a battle."

Jack walked over. "Generals." He said with a salute.

"Ah," Pickett saluted back. "How are you, Marshal?"

Jack grinned. "Good. We're giving a tour of the base to two very important people."

Pickett nodded. "Ah, you must be Kyle and Cate, the Generals have told us a lot about you two." He said with a friendly grin.

Kyle shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, General Pickett."

Pickett nodded. "Miss Cate, did Alex tell you how he was the one who won the Battle of Stark's Pond?"

"He couldn't stop talking about it! Ever since Jack had his replicator, Alex has been gifted so many marvellous things, but I love him more for what he already had," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder. Alex's response was to kiss her hand that was interlocked with his.

Ames smiled slightly, before commenting. "Don't worry. Jack and Alex are tough. The war will be over before you know it."

Kyle nodded. "I couldn't have greater confidence in them..."

Jack smiled.

"Any reports on Cartman's movements? Any intel?"

"Yes." The voice of General Lee declared, he walked over, and began to explain it. "He's somewhere in the upper part of the county. He has an army a little smaller than our's overall. However, we know how it's organized. Five divisions overall, under the command of General Walter von Brauschitsch."

"You what? Walter von Bullshit?" Alex jested.

"He...also has officially founded a 'Fourth Reich'..."

Jack looked down. "Of course he has..."

Jack took a deep breath.

"Tell General Lee he is to commence an offensive tomorrow."

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The Army of Colorado, now organized as the First Army, was marching out of South Park, except for Pickett and Chamberlain's 1st and 4th Divisions, which would remain to defend the town.

Jack watched them go. This was the first time they were heading out in an offensive operation. And he hoped that this Campaign would prove successful. It was their first offensive.

"While we have as much chance of losing as we have winning, you must never forget that the good guys will prevail. Those who are capable of love will always victor. Hateful beings do not understand the ways of life, and therefore cannot permanently hold dominion. Today, we may lose, today, we may die, but as long as there is one spark of hope, it will burn the forests of evil," Alex said.

Kyle nodded. "They're brave men out there. They'll triumph."

Jack turned to see a group of their classmates, including Stan, Kenny, but also Craig, Tweek, Butters, and Token.

Cocking a brow, Jack asked. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Hey, dude. So like, we've been talking, and we wanna join your military." Craig bluntly said, almost casually.

Stan sighed, and continued, not wanting Jack to get a wrong idea,

"We all wanted to join and help your efforts because.. well, South Park is our home. The United States is our country.. And we're not just gonna let that fat motherfucker win without a fight of our own!"

Jack blinked in surprise, as did Kyle.

"Guys, are you sure-"

"Hell yes we are!" Token declared. "That prick hurt us all when he attacked the town. We're going to fight."

Jack looked at him in surprise, before nodding. "I have another Division being organized. It's...the first that's a mix of recruited and replicated troops. Head to this location, Camp 5A."

"I commend you all for deciding to join our cause. Deciding to fight in a war is by no means a light decision, not that I was given a choice," Alex said the last bit with limited movement of his lips.

Jack looked to him, overhearing it, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah. We all want to do our part." Butters declared.

"Eek, yeah!" Tweek said, while twitching.

Jack nodded, before saying. "Find General Stonewall Jackson, the Division commander. He should be on the far southern flank of the army's defensive line."

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Jack asked Alex as they headed off to another meeting. "What was that about?" He asked.

Alex sighed before saying, "Don't get me wrong, I would want no one else to fight beside, but the way this whole thing has been… kinda decided on my behalf… I just didn't want any of this to happen. I don't want to kill people, I don't want people I love to be hurt. But waiting on the edge of a war I cannot escape? That is perhaps the worst part. I cannot in good conscience leave now, not when people have faith and hope in me, and have sacrificed their lives for me. It's just something I never expected to happen to me."

Jack looked at him, before nodding. "This war _shouldn't_ have happened...I...apologize. I never meant for this to happen. I never thought that Cartman would go this far. Now we have over one hundred thousand men under our direct command and three hundred thousand under our extend command. I don't know how many of those will die...I don't want _any_ of them to die. We've already lost almost eight hundred people in four days..."

"It's just… the idea that I'm partially responsible for the deaths of thousands, potentially _millions_ of innocent individuals, who each will have had hopes, dreams, endeavours and families that they will have fought for, only for their life to be stolen from them because of something that developed from a petty school fight, honestly, it sickens me," Alex lamented.

Jack took a deep breath, before saying softly. "It's not your fault. It's Cartman's. He has sounded the trumpet. We have to answer it. Because right now, the only path to peace is through victory..."

With that, Jack headed off, leaving Alex with his thoughts.

"Well… let us respond with the full orchestra," he said.

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"So...this is the place we're supposed to go?" Butters asked Kenny. Indeed, the sign said "Camp 5A."

A few hundred men were gathered, while a few thousand were milling about. They then saw a command car drive up, and a uniformed officer disembarked, before he motioned to them. "Jack's friends who wished to volunteer?" He asked.

The others looked to Stan, waiting for him to speak.

Stan glanced at his friends, and then at the Officer.

"Y- Yeah.." Stan replied simply, waiting for their next instructions.

"Very well, Lieutenant Marsh, you will oversee these men, who will make up your unit. I expect the best from all my officers, especially one General Anderson held in such high regard." He paused. "Sergeant Major General Thomas Jackson. Your commanding officer."

"Woah!" Butters exclaimed. "Lieutenant?!"

Kenny smirked upon hearing that.

"Kickass, dude.." He muttered.

The group joined Jackson as he led them to a camp. "This," he explained. "is how you'll receive your training. It will send signals to your brain that will increase your physical ability, and basic knowledge of weapons. It's not a drug, it's simply a rapid training method. We head out in a few hours, and General Lee needs all troops ready."

The South Park natives all stood there with stunned expressions on their faces, still trying to process all of this information.

"Cool! See ya there, dudes!" Kenny exclaimed, as if excited for the upcoming battle. It became more apparent as to _why_ when he added, "I can't wait to see the look on that fatass's face when we send his little 'Reich' crashing down!"

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 _Four hours later…_

General Jackson drove in front of his division. It occupied a position on the far left of the Allied line.

Stan, moved up towards Jackson, to ask for his orders.

"Orders, uh.. _Sir_?" Stan asked in a slightly nervous manner, trying his best to get the protocol down.

"Lieutenant," Jackson began. "That clump of trees is your objective. You will spearhead the attack. Are we clear? Your Brigade Commander will lead the main force, but that clump of trees is our goal for the whole Corps. Take it, and we will have succeeded for today."

He then held out a pistol, offering it to Stan. "Godspeed, Lieutenant." He said.

Stan took the pistol and gave a salute.

"Clear as crystal, General.. I will not fail you." Stan said.

Jackson nodded, and he raised his saber towards the enemy line. "7th Division, forward!"

The men looked to Stan, awaiting his orders. The rest of the Division was beginning to move forward. Stan's part of the line was awaiting his orders to join them.

"Dudes- Uh, I mean, _men_!" Stan corrected, slipping up at the beginning. "Forward!"

The brigade began to move forward, and as they entered the field, they saw a line of men over ten miles long extending across the valley. Everyone of them were part of the same army. It was a sight to see. Tens of thousands of men, thousands of vehicles, and hundreds of tanks.

"Wow.." Stan whispered to himself. He just couldn't _believe_ it! He was actually a _part_ of all this! It truly was a sight to behold..

Then, there was a low boom in the distance, and a half mile away, an explosion shook the line. The first artillery shell had landed! More explosions followed!

As gunfire was exchanged, Stan took a small bit of time to gasp slightly and take a good glance at it all.

"Jesus _Christ_ , dude.." He muttered.

' _Well, no one said it would be easy..'_ Stan thought to himself not long after.

A command car drove up, and another Brigade commander yelled. "You gotta come up Marsh! They're hitting our left flank! General Jackson wants your Brigade to counterattack!" Then, the car was hit, and the officer was killed right in front of their eyes!

"Guys!" Butter yelled. "General Jackson was just injured leading the charge! Who's in charge of the division now?!"

" _What_!?" Stan exclaimed.

' _You CANNOT be fucking serious!'_ Stan then thought, full of stress.

Stan frantically looked about, having to make a decision on a replacement for Jackson. And he had to do it _quickly_!

"Kenny!" Stan yelled, getting the attention of his nearby friend. "You fill in for Jackson! I know you can do it!"

Kenny gave a playful salute and said,

"Sir, yes _sir_!"

It was at that point that Kenny began to shout orders at the men, informing them quickly of the situation.

While that was going on, Stan turned back to focus on his men, to see how much progress they had made so far.

They were near the enemy line, and heavy fire was being exchanged. Just then, Kenny was hit by a bullet, and his head exploded in a gruesome display.

"Oh my god! They killed Kenny!" Butters yelled.

That left…

"Oh, _goddammit_!" Stan yelled. "Butters, you know what to do!"

Butters looked at him. "Stan, _sir_ , you're the only officer in this army! Jackson said that we need

to follow the most senior one in the unit, and that's... _you_."

That's _exactly_ what Stan was dreading hearing.. He was hoping Butters would just take Kenny's place, but he was right.. It was up to him now..

He looked around, before he saw an officer's saber on the ground. He rushed over, grabbed it, and waved it in the air. "Men! With me! Who will come with me?!"

The soldiers all yelled their agreements in a patriotic tone. They began to rush forward towards the enemy lines. They were the only division it seemed who were able to force their way this far.

100 feet to the trees...

Heavy fighting followed, but every man in the division fought hard. And soon, the others joined in. They soon noticed the whole Corps reaching the enemy line. But it was tough. The fighting was _bloody_. All around them, they could see dead bodies, most of them their enemies, but a large portion, their brothers in arms…

The emotion from the bloodshed was evident on every single soldier's face. They sweated.. They wept. And finally, they bled..

Through the anguish of their fellow brothers and friends falling to evil's clutches, they continued to push forward and fight on, through their anger and upset.

Then, finally, the enemy army was in retreat…

As the last enemy troops withdrew from the battlefield. The stars and stripes, and the Grand Army's battle flag were raised beside the trees. But behind them, an ocean of bodies. The groans of the dead and dying…

Then, one of the soldiers held his rifle in the air, and cheered. "Marsh!"

The whole division began to cheer his name. "MARSH! MARSH! MARSH!"

Stan stood in front of the division and looked them cheer with a wide smile on his face. If he was being honest, this felt.. kinda _awesome_!

They had secured a victory! They had done what was supposed to be done today! He felt perhaps the most accomplished he ever had in his entire life.

His smile quickly converted into a frown, however..

Kenny.. He was dead.

A casualty of war..

His best friend, and he was _gone_!

A tear began to come to Stan's face, and he turned away from the men, so as to not be seen like that. Stan knew full well the risks of war.. Everyone did. It just didn't _truly_ sink in until you've had time to see it happen and process it all.

Something _else_ then came to Stan's mind.

"Jackson!" Stan exclaimed. He wondered if the General would be alright.

A soldier rushed forward. "Sir!" He said as he saluted. "General Lee would like to see you."

Stan stopped in his tracks and turned to the soldier. He sighed and gave a quick nod.

"Lead the way, soldier.."

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The soldier led him to the headquarters, there, he saw two generals speaking.

"You saw how well he led that division. We need men like him." One of them spoke.

"I agree." The other replied.

They both turned.

"Lieutenant Marsh!" The second one began said as he saluted him. "Lieutenant General Robert E. Lee, commanding general of this army. This is your Corps commander, Major General Hancock."

Hancock nodded in greeting.

Stan gave a nod of his own, and turned to Lee.

"You wanted to see me, General?" Stan asked. He didn't show it, but Stan was _extremely_ nervous.. Good or bad, he was anxious about what this could be.

"Yes. Now, General Jackson was injured, as I'm sure you know. He will be alright, but will be reassigned to a new division or corps in a few days, when he recovers." Lee began.

Hancock nodded. "We still require a commander for the 7th Division. Your actions prove that you are the man for the job."

Stan widened his eyes.

Did he really just say that!?

"S- Sir.. I- I don't know what to say, I-" Stan began, unable to find the right words.

General Lee nodded. "This comes with a commission as a Sergeant Major General. As the Army expands, we will consider you for potential Corps, or even Army command one day."

He then took a deep breath. "You did well. You prove that there are good men in this army. Without your gallant actions, this army may have been forced to retreat. Your division was the one who sent the enemy army into retreat. We inflicted enormous casualties on them, far more than we took. That is thanks to your leadership."

Hancock nodded, and pulled out a medal. "The first medal we have, the Eagle of Gallantry. You did well, General Marsh."

"G- _General_!?" Stan exclaimed with a wide grin. "I.. _Thank_ you, Sir. It's such an honor! I promise you, those men, and this very country, that I won't let any of you down.. I will do my duty to the best of my ability until I can no more."

Lee nodded. "Very well, General Marsh."

His face fell a bit. "I understand your friend, Corporal McCormick was killed in battle. He will be given full military honors."

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Bebe watched the news. The latest battle of the war had been fought… And…

"I sure hope they're alright.." Bebe said to her friend, Wendy, who was over for a visit. "That's a _lot_ of casualties.."

"We have an interview with the General who won the battle, General Stanley Marsh," the midget explained.

Wendy widened her eyes and cocked a brow.

"Stan _Marsh_?" She questioned in disbelief.

"Hey, midget. How's it going?" Stan casually greeted, standing beside the midget in a bikini on the news.

Bebe and Wendy both gasped at this.

"Stan!?" Wendy exclaimed. "When the hell did _he_ join the military?"

"Honestly?" Bebe said. "I _don't_ know.."

"So, what caused 'Marsh's Charge'? General Lee mentions that your other units were slowing down? What led you to launch such a desperate attack?"

Stan looked down with a sigh.

"The desperate attack you speak of simply came from my _own_ desperation.." Stan said simply. "General Jackson had been injured in combat. My best friend, Kenny McCormick was his replacement.. He was shot and _killed_ by enemy fire.."

Bebe and Wendy both gasped.

"What!?" Bebe exclaimed.

"Kenny, _no_!" Wendy added, shocked by this news.

Stan looked up and continued to answer the midget's question.

"I felt so alone in that moment.. So _lost_.. I could see the look of defeat in my men's eyes. It felt hopeless.." There was a pause, before Stan perked up. "But then, a spark _shot_ through my very soul! I remembered the _reason_ we were fighting this battle in the first place! I wasn't just about to let our brothers go unavenged, and I knew my men weren't going to, _either_! And _that's_ when the tide began to turn in the battle.. Minutes past, and before long, we were sticking our flag in the ground in _victory_.."

Bebe and Wendy stared at the TV, awestruck. Stan's words had mesmerized even _them_ , two women who utterly _despised_ war. They both knew it to be necessary, but that didn't mean they still didn't like it.

They were both lost for words..

"They mention that your Division is the first one that's formed from a mix of...General Anderson's replicated soldiers, US army soldiers and marines, and volunteers. Is this true?"

Stan leaned forward to get closer to the microphone and bluntly answered,

"Yes.."

"Is there anything you want to say to those who are considering joining this army?"

Stan sighed and said,

"Just.. know what you're getting yourself into. It's a great service, and an honorable one at that. _Every_ single soldier is a man of honor, who I hold at high regard. But it _is_ a very dangerous and high costing job.. It requires loyalty, confidence, combat skills.. and the willingness to _never_ give up.. If you _do_ fit all of those qualifications, then.." Stan paused for a bit and gave a thumbs up with a grin. "Go Army!"

"It seems the army's spirits are high, when we get back to you, the South Park Cows absolutely annihilate North Park. We will be right back after these messages." The Anchorman said as the commercials began.

Bebe turned to Wendy when the commercials were on and asked her,

"Are.. you okay, Wendy?" Bebe noticed Wendy's change in demeanor, having noticed it from the _minute_ she walked in the house.

Wendy looked at Bebe and forced a smile.

"Wh- Me!? I'm _fine_ , Bebe.. Honestly. You worry too much." Wendy chuckled at the end, though Bebe could tell it was a little forced.

"Wendy.." Bebe said once again, looking her in the eyes. Wendy sighed, realizing that she was serious. There was no hiding this one, it seemed..

"It's- It's just.." Wendy began. She put her hands on her face. "You saw the news yesterday, right? About the anonymous girl who was almost raped in the alley?"

Bebe nodded slowly, with an expression of worry.

"Y..ess-" Bebe began to say, before she cut herself off prematurely.

She didn't _mean_?..

"That was _me_!" Wendy admitted, beginning to tear up. "It was _me_ , okay!? There! I said it!" Wendy began letting all her frustration out, afterwards laying her head down on Bebe's lap, bawling her eyes out. Bebe put a hand on her friend's head, comforting her as she cried.

"Shh.. It's okay, Wendy.. It's okay. It's nothing to be _ashamed_ of. That disgusting man got what he _deserved_! He was beaten up by that weird guy in black, and I hear he was brought into _custody_ just shortly afterwards.."

"I- I _know_.." Wendy responded, trying her best to keep her emotions under control. "It's just.. I felt so _weak_ that day! I haven't felt that powerless in _all_ my life! It was _terrible_! I could've been just another.. one of their _victims_.. Poor Heidi _still_ hasn't recovered from that horrible night.. I can just _imagine_ how everyone else must feel.."

Bebe nodded, still hugging her friend, to show that she was there for her, and that she was listening.

Wendy sighed.

"It's just a _relief_ that the vigilante dressed in black was there.. Who knows _what_ all would've happened if he wasn't there to save me?.."

" _Or_ she.." Bebe grinned, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Wendy shrugged, giving a weak grin of her own.

"I like your thinking, but this was _definitely_ a man.. His _voice_.. I think it'll stick with me _forever_.. It was just so.. _terrifying_ , yet so demanding! It was clear that he was in _complete_ control of the entire situation.."

Wendy chuckled slightly and added half-jokingly,

"I guess you could call him my 'dark knight' in not so shiny armor.."

Bebe rolled her eyes with a smirk. It seemed that the Wendy she knew was back. All it took was just a little talk about the whole thing.

That wasn't to say that Wendy would just forget about it completely. In fact, there was still some evident lingering doubt and fear still there.

Bebe noticed this, and pointed out,

"You know, if you _ever_ need someone to talk to about something like this, or _anything_ for that matter, I'll _always_ be here.."

Wendy nodded with a weak smile.

"Thanks, Bebe.. You're the best friend I could ask for."

Bebe smiled and said,

"Or if you'd want, I know someone _else_ who can talk to you about this whole situation better than I can.. He's experienced it, himself."

Wendy widened her eyes slightly, knowing who Bebe was referring to.

"You mean, _Kyle_?" Wendy looked down in nervousness. "I dunno, Bebe.. I don't wanna _spark_ something or-"

Bebe softly grabbed Wendy's hand.

"Wendy.. I _promise_ it will be okay." She then smiled. "Ever since he and Jack have been together, Kyle's attitude has changed _drastically_.. For the better! He's not the same Kyle he was a couple years ago. I've gotten to know him more, and.. he's willing to be there and listen to _anybody's_ troubles.. As will I.. As will _Drew_.. As will Jack.. As will Alex.. We're _all_ here for you if you ever need it. I just want you to know that you're not alone.."

Wendy smiled in response, this time a wide, genuine one.

"Thank you, Bebe.. I-" Wendy paused slightly, before saying. "I think I'll stop by his house.. It's been ages since we've had a conversation anyways. I just hope I won't be bugging him."

Bebe's expression got more serious and she pointed out,

"Don't go to his house.. He's over at Jack's place. Kyle and Sheila.. They got into it _pretty_ bad."

Wendy's face fell.

"Oh, really? That's terrible.."

"I know." Bebe replied, smiling reassuringly a couple seconds later. "But I _promise_ you, that won't get in the way.. According to Drew, he's doing fairly good, considering the situation. He gave him a Spiderman comic signed by Stan Lee. I think that really helped him a _lot_.."

Wendy smiled.

"Aww.. That's so sweet! _Stan Lee_ signed it? That's amazing!"

Bebe nodded.

"I know.. I really am _proud_ of him and the man he is.. He's going to be a _wonderful_ father one day."

Wendy gave Bebe a small hug.

"Well you tell Drew I said hi.. I think he'll be a great father, too! You're lucky, Bebe. He's a keeper!"

Bebe grinned with a nod, grateful for her words.

"I'll see you around, Bebe! Hope we can visit again soon!"

"Anytime!"

With that, Wendy exited the apartment, and towards her car. Once she got in, she exhaled deeply, trying to remove the tension from her body and mind.

' _Guess I'll go see if Kyle and Jack are home..'_ She thought as she put the car in reverse, backing out of the lot, and into the street.

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Jack, Alex, the Army Group Commander, Colonel General Ulysses S. Grant, and army commanders Lee and Rommel, as well as the all American Second Army commander, Ben Carville, as well as Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Darth Vader, were discussing the next move.

Cartman's armies had withdrawn from Park County to the north, into Eagle County and remained in a position of weakness. They had suffered heavier losses at Buffalo Peaks, and when combined with the influx of American military forces, they were outnumbered.

"Alright," Carville began. "Seems to me that we push into Eagle County, with Rommel and I's Armies attempting a flanking maneuver? We could encircle them and trap the fat bastard and the majority of his troops."

Grant nodded, as did Lee. "My army can provide support to such a maneuver, and the main effort when the time comes to hit them with everything we have. If we can break through to the headquarters, we can capture Cartman and the Replicator."

"Hell, we got the dude who single-handedly freed over fifty prisoners from a HYDRA base. If one person can do that, then for us, a fat kid with an army should be a piece of cake," Tony Stark said.

"Tony, you should never underestimate your opponent," Steve replied.

Darth Vader interjected. "While that may be true, our armies remain a capable fighting force, well led, supplied, and battle-tested."

He then added. "I suggest we coordinate our efforts. Perhaps Hulk and Thor on the Avengers and Luke and Master Windu provide field command to the armies on the flanks? Would that work, Captain Rogers?"

"That seems fine with me," Steve replied.

"Not much can stop Banner when he pulls a tantrum," Tony added.

Grant looked over the map. "We have two hundred thousand men at our command. Three armies. We're in very good shape, I must say." He commented.

"Look at the news." Ben Carville commented, pointing to the screen. "The Ambassador requested military aid from the UN. NATO's giving their response now."

" _While the events that are transpiring in the United States are unique and unexpected, we will fully support Generals Anderson and Pearson in their effort to defeat their petty enemy. We know too well the threat people such as Eric Cartman pose to peace, and therefore, if he is not willing to surrender and negotiate, then he and all those who follow him will be annihilated. We call on non-NATO member states to support our cause. If, for some reason, you choose to support Cartman, then you will be considered our enemy and our threat will apply to you also. We will do everything in our power to ensure that civilian casualties remain as low as possible and that peace shall be restored as soon as possible. While this is a relatively small conflict, it can easily be escalated, and is as dangerous as any other war. This is also a war that will show the true virtue of our allies and can demonstrate the righteousness of humanity. This is not a matter of perspective, opinion or ideology, but a matter of indisputable fact; NATO are fighting in the name of freedom, peace and democracy. Cartman is not."_

Jack cocked a brow. "Good. We have strong allies on our side. We don't stand alone."

"Indeed. This war will be an opportunity for humanity to define itself as a species that unites in the face of evil rather than allow itself to divide and fight between itself," Alex said.

"We can defeat them on our own, but this...guarantees our eventual victory." Grant declared.

Jack looked at the others. "We will win. No _question_ about that. There's no other alternative…"

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 _Knock knock knock!_

Wendy was currently at Jack's house, having driven there from Drew's apartment, where Bebe was staying off and on.

Wendy sighed in nervousness, wondering if this was even a good idea? Maybe she should turn back..

The door opened, and she saw Kyle. "Oh, hey Wendy!" He said with a friendly smile.

Wendy stopped in her tracks, turning back to Kyle with a friendly smile of her own, albeit a nervous one.

"H- hey, Kyle.. How's it going?" Wendy questioned.

"Good. Jack is off getting us some food. What is it?" He asked. "You okay Wendy?"

Wendy exhaled sharply and glanced off to the side, as if debating whether or not she should go through with it.

She turned to Kyle and asked him,

"Can.. Can I come in? If it's not any trouble? I.. wanted to talk with you.."

Kyle nodded.

As he closed the door, Wendy decided to try and break the ice somehow before just outright saying it.

"So Jack.. How's he doing lately? I hear he's pretty involved with this war that's been going on?"

Kyle nodded. "He was planning out the strategy with his generals...But he's been going out of his way to spend time with me...I can't thank him enough for all he's done for me."

Wendy grinned happily for Kyle.

"I'll bet.. You're pretty lucky, having someone who does anything for you. Same with Bebe.. You're both very lucky to have such wonderful men by your side.." Wendy replied.

Wendy didn't fully intend to, but a small amount of sadness and envy were noticeable in her words. She didn't wish anything bad on her friends, but she just wished she could have someone like that too..

Kyle cocked a brow, noticing it. "Are you okay Wendy? Is...everything alright?"

Wendy sighed, holding her forehead as she sat down on the couch. She figured she'd just come right out with it.

"Kyle.." Wendy began. "I was talking to Bebe earlier and.. I told her a _lot_. But I simply couldn't _bring_ myself to tell her _everything_.. She mentioned that you would listen and possibly give me some advice, so- So I came _here_.. There's a _lot_ on my mind, and I don't really know who to _turn_ to about all this.. Except- except you, and I _don't_ know why.. We haven't had a full conversation in, what? A few years? I'm just.. _lost_ , Kyle.. I need help more than I _ever_ have.."

Kyle looked at her, and said softly. "What is it? You can tell me. I won't judge you. I promise, your secret's safe with me."

Wendy sighed once more. She didn't appear nervous now, just ready to remove the weight from her shoulders..

"Ever since my many breakups with Stan over the years, it's just.. really _hurt_ me inside.. He seemed more interested in protecting you than anything else in his life. Which is fine, I don't blame him for it after what all has happened.. But it just got to the point where he'd _ignore_ my phone calls! He'd not have as much time to go out with me on dates! He just felt so.. _distant_.. And eventually I just couldn't take it anymore.. I was so _depressed_ after our last breakup, seven months ago.. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to _sleep_.. I didn't even want to _live_! I felt so _alone_! I still do.. Stan just seemed like the _one_ for me! But now- now I have just accepted the fact that I'll probably die alone.. No one _loves_ me.. Not like _Stan_ did, or how he _acted_ like he did.."

Wendy paused slightly, trying to wipe the tears away.

"Y- You have Jack! He's a _good_ man who would do anything for you.. He _listens_! He pays _attention_! He has his own life, but doesn't _neglect_ you or alienate you in the process! Bebe is the same way with _Drew_! Drew is a handsome, _amazing_ man! And they're gonna have a _family_ soon, for Christ's sake! What do _I_ have going for me? _Nothing_! That's what! _Nothing_.. And that's all I'll _ever_ have.."

Kyle put a hand on her shoulder. "Wendy," he said. "I thought the same thing less than a month ago, and then...I found Jack. I never thought I would find love, but then I did. I'm _sure_ it will be the same for you. Whether with Stan, or with someone else, I'm _sure_ you'll find someone. You're a good person. If you want, I can talk to Stan for you. Because to be honest..." he stopped. "It does get a bit grating having everyone think I'm made of glass..."

Wendy sat in silence for a few seconds, before responding,

"I understand.. I- I felt that way when-" She stopped realizing she had said a bit too much. Instead of hoping Kyle didn't catch it, she decided to come out with it anyways.. "-when I was almost _raped_ , possibly _killed_ that day! I was so _powerless_! I couldn't do a _thing_!"

Kyle widened his eyes in shock, before Wendy quickly confirmed,

"Yes.. I was the _anonymous_ girl from behind the alley of that Japanese restaurant that day! It was _me_! I- I thank God every _day_ for all that he's done over the years, but none _more so_ than _that_ day!" She paused. "If that man in black wasn't there, I would've just been another _victim_! Another _statistic_ for this town! I call him my 'dark knight'.."

Kyle looked at her, and pulled her into a hug. "I'm...so sorry. I know how painful that can be..."

Wendy jumped slightly, being taken aback, but returned the embrace.

"I- I know you do.. That's another reason I thought you could _help_ me.. Y'know, over the years, I always thought of you as perhaps the _sanest_ and reasonable of the boys.. Even more so than Stan.. I appreciate you listening and trying to help.."

Kyle nodded. "Don't worry. If you ever need to talk...I'm always here. Like I said, I can talk to Stan if you want..."

"I'll remember that." Wendy smiled. "And.. you'd really do that?"

Kyle nodded. "I will."

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Stan was surprised to hear knocking at his front door. He had been packing for the next campaign, and didn't expect anyone to stop by.

He sighed as he took small steps towards the door, guessing it to be the mailman delivering a package or something. His eyes widened when he saw that it was Kyle on the other end.

"Kyle? Uh.. Hey, dude. What's going on?" Stan asked.

"Nothing really, I was just talking with Wendy." Kyle replied.

Stan glanced to the side for a quick second or two, guilt and regret trailing in his expression. He turned back to Kyle and said,

"Oh, really?" He then stuttered. "W- What about?"

Kyle sighed. "Stan, we were chatting, and...dude, I'm just going to say it. She left you because you didn't give her the time of day. Look, I know you meant well, but you didn't need to make your whole life trying to keep me out of trouble, and you especially shouldn't have neglected your relationship with her."

Stan instinctively looked like he was about to argue, but instead, he stopped. In his mind, deep down inside, he knew Kyle's words to be true.. Stan even knew it _himself_ before this conversation even happened! He was just too afraid to admit it..

"You're.. You're _right_ , Kyle.. I feel like such a _douchebag_!" He sighed once again, and cursed, "Goddammit! Oh, now what, Kyle? She probably fucking _hates_ me by now! I've wanted to make amends with her ever since we broke up, but-" Stan trailed off, unable to find the correct words.

Kyle put a hand on his shoulder. "Stan...she _needs_ you right now. You need _her_. Just...talk to her dude."

Stan took a deep breath. He looked at Kyle for reassurance, and his expression was one of _just_ that.. The look in his eyes told Stan all he needed, that it would be okay..

Stan finally nodded and replied,

"I _will_ , dude.. I _will_!" Stan smiled and finished, "Thanks.."

Kyle grinned. "No problem SBF!"

Before Stan could reply, the loud sound of the TV got _both_ of their attention. The two looked at each other, before Stan offered,

"Wanna come inside? You can visit if you want.. Besides, this looks important. I wonder what it is _now_.."

Kyle nodded. "Sure!"

Kyle stepped inside as Stan closed the door behind him, just as the two friends sat on the couch, the report had started,

"Midget in a bikini here! Reporting _live_ just outside South Park Hospital.. Where a _major_ , and _shocking_ development has occurred.."

Stan and Kyle both perked up, awaiting the response.

"Harold Baker, the alleged rapist brought into custody yesterday morning by South Park authorities, has been found _dead_ in his hospital room due to a mysterious _poisoning_.. Investigators are conducting a thorough investigation of Mr. Baker's death, but are currently claiming that details found _thus_ far all point towards suicide.."

Kyle took a deep breath. "Can...can you change the channel dude?"

Stan nodded.

"Of course.." He replied.

"That begs the question, is this mysterious ' _man in black_ ' responsible for Mr. Baker's desperate actions? Sources _claim_ that-" The midget's voice was cut off, when Stan changed the channel to a basketball game instead.

After a little while, Kyle commented. "Dude, Jack and I were getting the group together for a party later. I already invited Wendy over. You should talk to her there."

Stan looked down, with a look of doubt and fear in his expression.

"I- I dunno, dude.. I probably _should_ , but.." He cut himself off, asking a question. "Who all is gonna be there?"

"Jack, Simba, Alex, Cate, hopefully Drew, Bebe, Nzuri, Adia, Wendy and hopefully Kenny."

"Full house, huh?" Stan chuckled. He sighed, mulling things over in silence, before he gave his response,

"Okay.. I'll _be_ there!"

Kyle grinned. "Cool, dude! See you there!"

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Jack was getting food again, and that left Kyle and Simba alone.

Currently, the cub was resting on Kyle's lap as the two watched Spongebob Squarepants, Simba's favorite show.

Kyle didn't mind. In fact, he had always liked that show, so it was nice watching them, especially the older seasons.

It was raining outside, and the occasional sound of thunder would interrupt their enjoyment.

Kyle stopped, however, when he heard the doorbell go off.

Simba jumped a bit, and looked towards the door.

"Doesn't dad usually just open the door?" Simba asked.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah...Stay here. I'll go check it out."

He got up, and walked over. He looked through the peephole and…

Did he _really_ just see that?!

He...couldn't really believe it, but...it was right there...clear as day…

He blinked, before realizing something; if it was real, it would need warmth…

He opened the door, and got a better look. It was indeed real. All bundled up in a blanket and a small shoebox…

Kyle immediately picked up the small form, and cradled it gently as he brought it, or more specifically _her_ inside.

Simba's eyes widened when he realized what it was.

"Is that..."

Kyle looked down, as if to confirm it himself, and saw it was a sleeping infant...a baby girl…

In that moment, it actually hit him! He was holding a baby girl that was left on their doorstep!

No note. Nothing.

He then noticed a few things...She had...brown hair that was the same shade as Jack's, and a skin color that seemed to be a halfway point between his pale skin, and Jack's slightly more tan skin.

She opened her eyes, and Kyle froze. She had...his emerald green eyes!

"Woah…" Simba breathed. "She looks just like you and dad!"

Kyle nodded, before he felt something...different. The baby girl was looking up at him with...trust. She looked at him like…

He blinked, and had to smile a bit…

He didn't know how she got here, but he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

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Jack cocked a brow as he saw the shoebox on the floor. What was that doing here?

He would have to ask Kyle when he went inside.

However, he had a lot more questions than answers when he opened the door.

He stopped when he saw Kyle...holding…

"Hey dad!" Simba called, but not to loudly, so as not to disturb the sleeping infant in Kyle's arms.

Kyle looked up, and smiled sheepishly.

Jack walked in, but before he could ask anything Kyle spoke.

"Someone...left her at our door. I...couldn't leave her out there on the cold."

Jack nodded slowly, still processing all of this.

He was about to say that they needed to take the baby to an orphanage, but stopped when the baby stirred. She opened her little mouth in a yawn, before opening her eyes. She smiled, and laughed adorably as Kyle grinned at her. She reached a small hand up to try and grab at him.

Kyle chuckled, as did Simba, and Jack walked into the other room, walking out with a replicator.

Kyle was about to ask, when…

"Alright, we're going to have to make a nursery it seems. Though we should definitely get some formula first."

Kyle's eyes widened.

"You...you're serious?" He asked, getting more excited.

Jack stopped, before he smiled. "I...damn it-" he said as he realized something.

"Language!" Kyle said sharply.

Jack looked at him, before his grin widened.

"What?" Kyle asked.

Jack chuckled. "Nothing..."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Tell me!"

"Alright, fine. I didn't expect you to adopt this whole parent thing so quickly."

Kyle stopped, realizing he was indeed doing that.

The baby laughed again, as if agreeing with Jack. "See, she agrees with me." Jack laughed, before he walked over.

He sat beside Kyle, and had to smile.

"My pride and my joy..." He commented, looking first at Simba, then the cub.

Simba's eyes widened a bit. "You're...proud of me dad?"

Jack nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be though? You're my son."

He chuckled. "I expect you to look after your baby sister though."

Simba grinned. "I won't let anything happen to her!"

Kyle grinned, before he asked Jack.

"So...any suggestions for names?"

Jack thought for a moment, before Simba spoke up.

"What about Amelia?"

Jack and Kyle stopped, and looked at Simba.

"I heard that name on the TV, it sounded nice."

Jack and Kyle looked at each other, before smiling.

"You okay with that, Amelia?" Jack asked.

The baby grinned again, before reaching up to try and grab at Jack.

Kyle smiled, and gently picked her up, before offering her to Jack.

Jack hesitated. He grinned, and gently held her.

"Hi daddy's little girl..." Jack said with a grin.

Kyle remembered what Jack had said earlier. "I'm going to get some formula from the Replicator."

Jack nodded. As Kyle entered in the data for the most healthy formula a baby could have, Jack felt that same protective instinct return.

Simba sat next to him, before he nuzzled Amelia a bit. The baby girl laughed as Simba's fur ticked her a bit.

Jack swore that he'd always protect them. His family.

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Alex and Cate walked up to Jack's house with anticipation. Jack has called for them to visit as soon as they could and that they had a surprise for them.

"What do you think it could be?" Cate asked.

"I'm not sure. A replicated character? A McLaren P1? With Jack, it could be anything!" Alex chuckled. They then knocked on the door and waited until Jack answered the door.

A few seconds later, Jack opened the door. "Hey guys!" He greeted, seeming happier then he had been in a while. "Come on in."

Alex and Cate stepped through the door and immediately sensed an abnormality about the place.

"What's that smell? And why are there a load of baby clothes on the table?" Alex asked.

Jack was about to answer, when they noticed Kyle sitting on the couch, with Simba and Rexy sitting beside him. However, their attention was on the tiny baby who Kyle was feeding with formula.

Both Alex and Cate gasped.

"Oh, my God! Congratulations, you two!" Cate exclaimed as she hugged Jack and then Kyle.

"Heh, didn't know Jack got you pregnant, Kyle," Alex said with a smirk.

Kyle's face flushed, before he asked. "What are you trying to say, Limey?"

"Ah, you know I'm joking," Alex laughed.

Kyle sighed, before he went back to feeding the baby. "Her name's Amelia."

"I picked her name!" Simba said proudly.

"That's a lovely name," Cate commented.

Jack nodded proudly.

Alex cocked a brow when he noticed just how similar to Jack and Kyle Amelia was.

"Are you sure you didn't, like, replicate her for her to look like you?" he asked.

Kyle shook his head. "Like I said, I just found her."

He added. "Look through yesterday's production history, and you'll see we didn't even make anything out of the ordinary."

"Alright, I believe you. It's just so strange that she looks so much like both of you. No sign of whoever left her there?" he asked.

Jack shook his head. "I even checked the security camera footage. Static right at the time she arrived..."

"I bet Drew and Bebe are going to be jealous that you skipped all the hard work," Cate laughed.

Jack and Kyle chuckled. "Yeah, most likely. I hope Amelia can be good friends with their daughter though..." Kyle commented.

Jack nodded. "I'm sure she will..."

"Would one of you like to hold her?" He then asked.

"Would I?!" Alex exclaimed before Kyle gently handed Amelia to Alex's tender arms.

"You're good at holding babies, Alex," Cate commented.

"Well, I do have three younger siblings," Alex chuckled quietly as to not unsettle the baby.

"She's beautiful," he added with a smile.

"I second that," Cate said.

Kyle and Jack's grins widened, before Spongebob came back on. Amelia made an excited noise, and clapped as she looked at the TV.

"Oh, you like Spongebob? Well, I'd better give you back to your daddy so you can get a better view," Alex said while retaining his smile, as he returned Amelia to Kyle.

"I mean not to offend you, Kyle, but you're more naturally… maternal with Amelia. She will have a fantastic pair of parents to support her," Cate commented.

Kyle smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Then he looked at Jack, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Was that what you were getting at earlier?"

Jack shrugged. "Pretty much."

Kyle rolled his eyes as he sat down, and gently held Amelia, who seemed enthralled by Spongebob.

"We were going to take her down to the park in a bit, if you want to come with us. We need someone to take pictures." Jack chuckled.

"We'd be more than happy to," said Cate.

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Jack, Kyle, Amelia, Simba, Rexy, Alex and Cate sat down at a table in the middle of the park, having a nice little picnic. For Simba and Rexy, and little Amelia as well, it was the first time they were actually out of the house. At this point, Jack had kind of decided that things had gotten weird enough that a talking lion and baby T-rex wouldn't be too out of the ordinary…

Plus, no-one would mess with two commanding generals...

Simba was chasing a butterfly, and Rexy was sniffing the ground nearby, highly interested in something in the grass.

Kyle was giving Amelia formula again. It seemed Alex and Cate were right. He really was good with her…

"I have a feeling there will be some more new additions to our little group soon." Jack chuckled.

Alex and Cate laughed awkwardly. "Well, we've been responsible so far, but it would be nice if all of our children could be of similar age," Cate said.

"Indeed. It could be sooner than we anticipate that it's three for three. That's been the case so far," Alex commented.

Kyle nodded. "Indeed it has. I estimate a week or two before you two are blessed with a child or two. Like we've been twice at this point."

Alex and Cate both laughed again. "Well, who knows? While I don't mind what gender they would be, I've always thought that 'Lucas' was a nice name," Alex said.

Cate nodded. "I like that name, and I had promised an old friend of mine in LA, who had unfortunately died of cancer, that I would name my son 'Matthew' for that was his name," Cate said with a bittersweet tone.

Jack nodded in understanding. He looked like he was about to say something, but seemed to decide against it.

They were caught by surprise when they heard something that sounded like...a small animal had fallen from a tree.

They turned to see Rexy looking at a small sparrow that seemed to be lying on the ground, likely having crashed into the tree and was now temporarily stunned.

That meant that it was easy prey for the larger baby _Tyrannosaur_ …

Alex grimaced slightly as he expected Rexy to consume the sparrow, however….

Rexy nudged the unconscious animal gently, and the sparrow stirred, before it hopped onto its feet and looked at Rexy. Rexy chuffed at it in a manner that Jack recognized as friendly.

The sparrow looked at the T-rex for a moment, before flying off.

Rexy chirped happily as the sparrow flew off, the bird seemingly alright.

Alex cocked a brow. "What's the dinosaur equivalent to 'humanity'? Cause Rexy definitely showed some there!" he said.

Jack nodded. "She's been showing curiosity, gentleness, and stuff like that lately, but that right there, empathy, is something I've _never_ seen."

He got up, and called Rexy over. "Rexy girl!"

The baby T-rex turned and loped over looking at Jack expectantly.

He proceeded to count to four three times, holding his fingers up sequentially, and repeating the process.

Then, on the fourth, he stopped at the third. Rexy proceeded to chirp _four_ times! She had just solved a problem!

Jack blinked, seemingly in shock.

"Wow...she's more intelligent than I thought. Empathy, problem-solving, curiosity..."

"What is it with you and attracting genetic anomalies?" Alex chuckled.

Jack shook his head. "Well, I made her with the Replicator, but she's going beyond her...programming it seems."

Cate nodded in understanding. "Very interesting…" she mused on the revelation.

Amelia clapped, seemingly proud of the T-rex.

Rexy turned and gently nuzzled the baby a bit. She seemed to also recognize her "pack"...

Amelia laughed as she gently pat the T-rex on the head.

Simba joined the group soon after.

"This place is so cool! Though it is kind of cold..."

"Oh, yeah… you're from Africa," Alex chuckled. "Do you want to put my jacket on? My arc reactor can provide insulation for my body," he offered.

Simba smiled. "Thanks Uncle."

Alex then took off his jacket, wrapped it around Simba's body by the arms, and then pulled out his phone to open the arc reactor app that regulated its energy output.1

"You're welcome for that app by the way." Jack chuckled.

"I am grateful. I'm just not the best at showing it," Alex replied.

Jack nodded, before he asked the others. "You guys want to eat now? Maybe after this we could go to the pond and feed the ducks?"

"Oh, you're not supposed to give ducks bread. It's generally bad for their health and ability to swim," Alex said.

Jack shrugged. "Not my specially designed, Duck approved replicated bread."

Kyle looked at him. "Duck _approved_?" He chuckled before rolling his eyes.

"Literally always an answer for everything now you have the Replicator," Alex chuckled.

Jack nodded. "Knowing you, you'll probably bring up some statistic or something just because."

"Fortunately for you, that's the extent of my duck knowledge," was Alex's response.

Kyle chuckled. "Please tell me you guys don't do this kind of thing during battle? You know what they say, divide and conquer..."

"We actually don't often fight with each other, side by side. We mostly lead separate parts of the battles. Jack will take one half of the army and I'll take the other or something," Alex explained.

Kyle nodded in understanding, before asking Cate.

"Is he still going on about his exploits in the first battle? Jack has at least stopped doing that..."

"I think his sense of glory has diminished as the battle has progressed. The conflict has, however, enabled him to appreciate his friends and family more," she said.

Jack nodded. "My family and friends give me a reason to fight..."

He looked at Kyle, Simba, Rexy and Amelia.

Kyle smiled slightly at hearing that.

There was a distant sound of artillery fire in the distance.

Cate gasped slightly. "What the hell does that mean? H-has another battle began?" she asked, almost frantically.

"Cate, it's okay. They're just keeping the pressure against the enemy. We're safe here," Alex said before kissing her. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you," he added as they hugged each other.

Jack looked towards where the artillery was coming from. "He's right. They're trying to keep the enemy guessing. It would be a lot louder and more frequent if it was a full scale attack."

"It's alright. Cartman's wrath will not reach us here, least I have a say in it," Alex proclaimed, but as he was still hugging her, he did not see her frequent blinking.

Jack took a deep breath, before adding. "Yeah, we have twenty-seven divisions out there, again. Three hundred thousand men is quite a powerful force. We should be safe."

He then added. "The president told me he wanted to meet with me next week..."

Alex nodded. "About what exactly?" he asked.

Jack replied simply. "Well, I assume war strategy. However, we're getting representatives from various other members of NATO and other allied powers."

"Do we know if any misguided countries have sided with Cartman?" Alex asked.

Jack shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. Russia is declaring neutrality, but China is sending a bit of money to assist us."

Alex nodded again.

Jack sighed. "But enough about work. Anything new with you guys?"

"Nah, not really. Ever since the place turned into a war zone, nothing much changed apart from adapting to a new routine," Cate commented.

Kyle nodded.

There was a sound of thunder in the distance. Not artillery, regular thunder.

"Oh, is Thor battling some foes?" Alex chuckled.

There was another thunder boom, and in the distance, a lightning strike.

Amelia whimpered slightly, causing Kyle to pull her close. "Shh. It's okay baby girl." He soothed her.

"My oldest brother, Lewis, he used to be terrified of thunder. It wasn't as frequent in London as it is here," Alex reminisced. "Come to think of it, he is still touchy when there's a thunderstorm," he chuckled.

Jack nodded. "We should probably head home. Don't want the kids to get caught in the rain."

"You guys want to still watch a movie?" Kyle asked.

"Sure. We don't really have any plans," Cate said.

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Drew sighed as he walked into the store. Bebe had asked him to go pick up some diapers for their future baby.

If there was _anything_ Drew didn't really like, it was shopping.. But if it was for his family, he would bite his tongue and just get it over with..

Drew didn't mention it, but he was actually getting pretty _concerned_.. I mean, he had to think about this for a second! And he didn't realize it until just _now_!

Firstly, how did Bebe know the gender of their child so _quickly_? She's only been pregnant for what, a _month_? The only plausible explanation would be that Clyde or someone knocked her up _before_ he even met her!

But that would be _impossible_ , because Drew could tell _full_ well that she was a virgin.. He could just _tell_.

This all didn't add up.. Something wasn't right, here.. And either Drew was completely blind, or Bebe's bump was growing at an _alarming_ rate! In the past week _alone_ , it was evident how much _bigger_ she had gotten..

And now Drew was on edge. He was concerned, not only for Bebe, but for the _baby_! What the hell was going _on_?

Drew was snapped out of his paranoia and fear when he noticed he had reached the baby aisle. He let out a small sigh and scanned the area for some durable diapers.

Drew made a promise to himself.. One that he intended to keep,

' _I'm going to get to the bottom of this! Something isn't right, here.. Bebe's bump is of the caliber to that of a woman seven to eight months pregnant! Either I'm just a jackass and think she's fat, or something really IS amiss.. Regardless, I intend to find out!'_

Drew was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar voice in the same aisle,

"Hey Drew!"

He turned to see Kyle not too far away, with a cart full of...baby supplies. Everything from diapers to formula to powder.

Drew smirked and joked,

"Y'know if you were gonna help Bebe and me out, you could've called me so I didn't have to suffer the drive to the store."

Kyle cocked a brow, as if not understanding. "I was actually getting this stuff for Amelia-" he stopped, realizing that they _hadn't_ told Drew and Bebe.

Drew smirked once more, implying that he had Kyle _immediately_ figured out.

"Amelia.." Drew repeated to himself. "Beautiful name.. New daughter?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah...someone just left her on our doorstep. We couldn't leave her out there, and we've adopted her. Simba was the one who suggested her name."

Drew's smirk immediately fell into an expression of seriousness.

' _Okay.. Something is DEFINITELY at play, here! Maybe I'm not just paranoid over Bebe's pregnancy progression after all.. An infant doesn't just APPEAR out of thin air..'_ Drew thought.

To confirm that Kyle wasn't joking or overhyping the story in any way, Drew asked him straight up,

"Are you _sure_ , you didn't just adopt this little girl from an orphanage? Or that some unwilling, irresponsible parent simply _left_ her on your doorstep? Have you considered a DNA test?"

Kyle held up his phone, and it showed a picture of Jack holding a baby girl that had Jack's hair, a shade of skin halfway between Jack's slightly more tan skin, and Kyle's pale skin, and emerald green eyes that matched Kyle's _exactly_.

Drew looked at the picture with a blank expression, simply analyzing all the details. He could remember everything to a tee, and would keep this in mind for later..

"Certainly a very interesting case.." Drew began. He then turned to Kyle. "But there's _no_ evidence to support that this child is biologically either of yours.. Scientifically, it seems unlikely. But with a Replicator in the world, perhaps it isn't as impossible as one might think.. For now, I'll classify this as a coincidence until physical evidence proves otherwise." Drew stayed silent for a bit, before finishing,

"The reason I bring this up, Kyle, is because I think something _may_ be wrong.. Like a strange _force_ is affecting both of our lives involving our families.. Bebe's pregnancy is progressing at an _alarming_ rate, and now this.. Something's not right.."

Kyle nodded. "Something definitely isn't..."

He took a deep breath. "I'm worried that whatever's causing this might be a greater threat than Cartman..."

Drew looked down in silence for a couple seconds, before he replied,

"Well.. Whether it's mother nature, extraterrestrial beings, or even God, one thing is for _certain_.. It's a _powerful_ , and _dominant_ force.. One that I have no possible idea of stopping." He paused briefly. "Perhaps it can't _be_ stopped.. Perhaps it's beyond our capabilities."

Kyle shook his head. "I pray that it's not the last two..."

Drew heard his phone buzz in his pocket, and he reached in to grab it, cocking a brow. He had received a text from Bebe, and once he had read it, his eyes widened slightly.

' _Hospitalized? Dead by poisoning!?'_ Drew thought to himself, trying to assess the situation.

Bebe had texted him that Wendy had come over for a visit earlier, and told what she saw on the news. While Drew was happy to hear about Stan, the part about Harold Baker, the rapist from the alley who almost made Wendy his victim, was _dead_..

At first, Drew began to panic, thinking that his cause of death might've been from him beating him too bad. After all, he didn't have the strength of an average _human_ anymore! If _anything_ , it was now _godlike_!

But luckily, for Drew at least, he discovered that Harold was actually _poisoned_ inside the hospital, dying in his hospital room..

The police hadn't found out who had done it, or even what Harold was poisoned _with_! Considering the lack of evidence to point towards foul play, the police simply ruled it a suicide.

Drew narrowed his eyes, studying every detail in the message. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he had to investigate, _himself_! As was everything recently, it didn't seem to _add_ up!

' _Could Harold have killed himself due to the guilt of being what he is? Or over what he had done? Very possible.. But unlikely.. Harold looked frightened when he was in a vulnerable state, but the look in his eyes told me that he'd DO it again! Besides that, I had fractured his left arm, and his right shoulder blade in that grueling process, so there's no EASY way for him to have administered the toxin into his own body.. This could ONLY add up to assisted suicide, or a homicide..'_

Drew put the phone back in his pocket and sighed, looking back towards Kyle.

' _The police overlooked multiple very CRUCIAL details, and prematurely shut the case down! It looks like now, it's up to ME to find the truth.. Harold may have been a lowlife rapist, but these sudden events are those filled with red flags. I swear I'll succeed where the police failed! This case is FAR from a shut one!'_

It looked like tonight, would be a busy one..

"You okay Drew?" Kyle asked.

Drew snapped out of his thoughts, and looked at Kyle once more, a reassuring grin forming on his face.

"I'm fine, Kyle.. Just nervous about everything, that's all." Drew quickly came up with a half-lie to cover his tracks. It wasn't _completely_ that far from the truth, but Drew made sure to lure his suspicions away, so that his 'double life' would never be exposed..

He couldn't have that.. He _couldn't_ risk them knowing! It would be a danger to them all.. A risk he wasn't willing to take, no matter _how_ many powers that Replicator might give them..

Kyle nodded in understanding. "Alex and Cate are joining us for a movie in a bit. I invited Stan, Kenny, and Wendy as well? Would you, Bebe, Nzuri and Adia want to join us?"

Drew frowned slightly. He was hoping to maybe get a headstart on solving the poisoning case.. After all, he had learned _so_ much on Criminology as of late.. And his knowledge would only continue to grow over time.

However, it would come off as both _rude_ and suspicious if he were to decline.. It seemed as though he had no choice. It's not that he didn't like seeing his friends, it was more so that this news of Harold Baker just kept _plaguing_ his mind! He had to investigate _soon_ , or else the trail may go cold..

"I.." Drew began, his grin unfading. "I'd _love_ to, Kyle.. What movie are we watching?"

"We don't know yet. Jack suggested we hold a vote or something."

"Plus, we kind of want the others to meet Amelia."

Drew nodded.

"Fair enough.. Can't wait to meet your little girl!" Drew said genuinely. He _still_ was suspicious of how Amelia showed up there.. Or even whose child it really _was_! But that didn't _matter_! She was Jack and Kyle's now..

Drew understood that, himself.. Adia had grown closer to him, as well, over the weeks since she and Nzuri stayed at his apartment. She, often times, would wanna play with Drew, or even snuggle up next to him. It wasn't like Drew was opposed to it.. Hell, he thought it was kind of cute; like his very _own_ adopted daughter, in a way.. Very recently, Adia could now walk on her own, and was now talking in _full_ sentences! She was still pretty little, but this was a giant step!

Kyle grinned. "Awesome! See you guys there."

He stopped, before chuckling. "How do you think Kenny and Stan will react?"

Drew chuckled before saying,

"I think they might go _insane_! Or will be happy for you.. One of those two.. Or both."

"Probably both knowing Stan and Kenny. Alex..." He shook his head in exasperation. "The bastard made a joke that 'Jack got me pregnant'."

Drew laughed slightly.

"Everyone just _loves_ to make jokes about you, it seems.. First Bebe, now Alex.. Who's next? Adia?"

Kyle groaned. "Don't give anyone any ideas...I don't know what they're talking about though.." He said humorously.

"Even Jack seemed to imply something, though at this point...I could kind of care less...well except for one thing..." Kyle trailed off.

Drew cocked a brow, awaiting for Kyle to continue.

"I want to be able to help Jack in some way. I mean, he's done so much, and it's a bit hard to repay him for all that...I just want to help."

Drew sighed and said sorrowfully,

"Me too.." He looked up at Kyle and added, "I miss the times when I could actually _fight_.. When I could actually be of some sort of _use_ to you guys.. Now look at me, I'm _nothing_ special, now.." Drew walked closer to Kyle and finished,

"Now I know what it's like to feel the way you do.. I never understood it before, but now I _do_ , and well.. I hope you find what you're looking for!" Drew smiled. "You're a _smart_ kid, and are certainly a kind one.. You're already helping in your own unique way, though I completely understand your need for something _more_.. I understand that perhaps better than _anybody_ , now.."

Kyle nodded. "Thanks Drew. I hope you find what you're looking for too."

Drew grinned, before it slowly began to fade. He looked down, saying,

"Though without fighting, what _purpose_ does my life even _have_?" He paused. "I have a beautiful woman by my side who I love greatly, a _daughter_ on the way, and even two _others_ living with me, who are just as much family as you guys are! Perhaps _that's_ my purpose, now.. My reason for living. It's because of _them_. Because of _you_.."

Kyle smiled. "We'll stand by you, Drew, whatever happens."

Drew then looked back towards the shelf, gazing at the diapers he was supposed to be buying.

"I suppose we should get our stuff and leave." Drew said. "I'm tired of smelling baby powder and _diapers_.."

Kyle chuckled. "Agreed. I'll meet you back at our place."

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Drew, Bebe, Nzuri, Adia, Stan, Wendy, and Kenny headed towards Jack's house. Stan and Kenny rode in Stan's car, while everyone else rode in Drew's.

Drew went to Wendy's house to pick her up, and the rest of the car ride, he zoned everything out. Wendy and Bebe were talking about something Red said in school or _songs_ along those lines..

Drew didn't care, though.. He just turned the radio up and listened to some classic rock. It was a cool, peaceful looking night.

Nzuri simply did her best to keep Adia from jumping off of the seats. Adia wanted to explore the rest of the car, probably out of curiosity, but Nzuri had to teach her that it wasn't safe.

A pretty uneventful car ride, to say the least..

Drew about sighed in relief when they finally reached Jack's house. It appeared Stan's car was already there.

"You ready to watch a _movie_ , Adia?" Bebe questioned with a smile.

"Yeah!" Adia said excitedly. Her joyful expression then turned to that of a confused one. "Umm.. What's a 'movie'?"

Everyone had to laugh at that.

"Come on, Adia.. You'll see." Nzuri told her, leading her towards the house. Nzuri hadn't seen but a _couple_ that Drew and Bebe watched back at the apartment, but from what she saw, they were pretty entertaining, and were unlike _anything_ ahe had ever seen before!

They finally reached the door, and Drew knocked on it.

Jack opened the door. "Hey guys. Nice to see everyone's here finally. We haven't all hung out in a little while, have we?"

"Sure haven't.." Drew replied, beginning to step inside, followed by everyone else. Drew stopped in his tracks when he saw how set up the living room was, and seeing all the refreshments in the kitchen.

"Wow! That smells _good_!" Adia said, impatiently wanting some of the food that was in there.

Bebe turned to Jack with a smirk.

"You went all out on the refreshments, huh? You sure know how to make a pregnant woman happy!" She chuckled at the end.

Jack grinned. "Come on in. Alex and Cate are here."

Stan noticed Jack seemed abnormally happy about something.

"Okay," Stan began with a grin. "I know Kenny's jokes are funny, but they're not _that_ funny. What's with the smile?"

Jack shrugged. "Well..."

It was then that Bebe noticed Kyle holding a baby girl in his arms in the living room.

"Awww!" Bebe cooed, immediately catching everyone's attention. Wendy followed suit, as soon as she saw what Bebe was looking at. Nzuri had to smile at the sight.

"Congratulations, you two.. She's _beautiful_."

Adia walked over to get a better view of the baby, smiling at the sight of her.

"What's her name, Miss Kyle?" Adia asked curiously.

Everyone in the room burst out into laughter, minus Kyle, who was in a small state of shock.

Kyle's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but he quickly composed himself. "Amelia." He said with a smile.

Kyle sent Drew a smirk. "Looks like you were right earlier..."

Drew shrugged.

"Told ya.."

"Am- _Amelia_?.." Adia tried to pronounce, looking at the baby. She then smiled. "Wow.. That's a _beautiful_ name! I hope we can play one day!"

Kyle nodded in agreement.

Simba walked into view. He grinned upon seeing Adia. "Hey Squirt!" He chuckled, using the nickname he had come up with a little while back.

Adia shot Simba a look of annoyance.

"My name is _not_ 'Squirt' you meanie! I'll tell my _Dad_ on you!" Adia innocently tried to counter

Kyle grinned a bit, guessing who her "dad" was. Nzuri cocked a brow, but bent down with a smile.

"Your 'Dad'?" Nzuri asked. Adia nodded with a serious expression.

"Yep! Simba's acting mean. I'm no squirt!"

Everyone in the room had to smirk at how innocent she sounded.

"And who _is_ your 'Dad'?" Nzuri questioned Adia.

Adia motioned her head in Drew's direction.

"My Dad. Duh! Who _else_ would be my Dad?"

Drew widened his eyes in slight surprise, before everyone else smiled at the sight.

"Aww, she just called you 'Dad'.. That's so _sweet_!" Bebe commented.

Drew couldn't help but smile himself. After all, it _did_ make a bit of sense.. He had been in Adia's life since she was practically a newborn! It only made sense that she would think something like that.

Simba grinned as well.

"We're missing out on the fun, Alex," Cate chuckled.

Kenny walked over towards Kyle to get a better look at the baby. After a nerve wracking few seconds for Kyle, Kenny looked up at him and gave his reply,

"Dude, if you would've asked me seven- _eight_ years ago that I saw you in this exact situation now?" Kenny shook his head with a chuckle. "I'd have thought you were _crazy_! But.." Kenny looked down at Amelia once more, taking off his hoodie, and revealing a warm smile. "She's _beautiful_.. I'm… I'm _happy_ for you, guys. Through all the shit we've experienced over the past couple months? I can _safely_ say that you and Jack will be _great_ parents, and will have an amazing family!"

Kenny smirked and finished jokingly,

"You're gonna make a _great_ mother, Kyle.."

Kyle looked at him with annoyance. "NOT YOU TOO!"

Everyone in the room burst out into laughter. Kyle rolled his eyes and said to Bebe half-jokingly,

"This is _your_ fault, y'know.."

Bebe shrugged with a smirk of her own, her only response being,

"Whoops..?"

Stan said nothing.. He seemed to be too busy looking over towards Wendy. It was clear that he was _extremely_ nervous, and he wasn't able to focus.

Wendy noticed this and looked off to the side. The exchange was just _extremely_ awkward.. Especially when both knew what was going to happen; about the two of them talking things out.

Jack noticed this, and tried to change the subject. "So...what movie?"

"Umm.. The Temple Of Doom?" Kenny suggested.

"How about The Notebook?" Bebe said.

Drew fake gagged and responded,

"Next.." Bebe could only roll her eyes.

"Oh, now.. It wouldn't _kill_ you.." Bebe said.

"But it might kill _me_.." Stan quipped, trying to get his mind off of the whole Wendy situation.

"What about..?" Kyle suggested, before stopping. "We have to pick something the kids would be able to enjoy-"

"I always liked watching the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie as a kid.." Drew said with a shrug.

Everyone turned to him, surprised that _he_ was the one to suggest such a thing.

Bebe smirked.

"You _serious_?" She asked Drew.

"Well, Kyle said something the kids would watch.. Just throwing my hat into the ring." Drew answered.

"We all know you're gonna secretly _enjoy_ it, dude.." Kenny said to Drew with a laugh. "Hell, I'm not gonna lie, I might enjoy that shit- Uh, I mean _crap_.." Kenny cut himself off, realizing he just about swore in front of the younger ones.

Simba looked at Jack. "What's-"

"A bad word, son. A _bad_ word." Jack said, shooting Kenny a glare.

Kenny sheepishly grinned towards Jack with an apologetic shrug.

Kyle rolled his eyes, and asked. "Everyone in favor of the Spongebob: Movie?"

"Aye!" Simba said, already being a fan of the show.

"Aye." Everyone else said in response.

"Yeah!" Adia said with excitement. "I dunno what a 'SpongeBob' is, but if you guys like it, then it _must_ be fun!"


	9. Chapter 8, Escalation

After they finished watching the movie and everyone left, Simba and Rexy went to bed, while Jack and Kyle put Amelia to sleep in her new crib.

Jack was getting a cup of water, something that had kind of become a thing for him lately. He would drink it throughout the night, and it was more of an OCD thing. One of a number of habits he'd developed over the past few days.

He walked into his room, and was surprised to see Kyle sitting on the bed, waiting for him, rather than already asleep.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

Kyle smiled, and nodded, before he got up and pulled Jack into a hug.

"Kyle, what-" Jack stopped, when Kyle kissed him gently.

Jack pulled back, and looked at him seriously. "Kyle..."

"I..." Kyle took a deep breath, biting his lip. "I really do want this. I don't want to feel that pain anymore. I don't want to feel fragile anymore. I...want to be with you in every way..."

Jack looked him in the eye, and said softly. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

"But I _want_ to." Kyle replied seriously.

Jack was silent for a few seconds, before he kissed Kyle on the lips. "If it's too much, just say 'stop', and I promise I will."

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Jack grinned as they met Drew and Bebe at the Black Bear Diner restaurant. "Hey guys!" He greeted happily.

Drew and Bebe approached Jack and Kyle by the front door, with friendly grins on their faces. Bebe wore a heavier red jacket since it was a bit colder out today, while Drew wore his brown jacket, which he had only worn once before.

"Hey, Jack! Hey, Kyle! Thanks for having us this evening!" Bebe said politely.

Jack and Kyle nodded. "How are you guys doing?" Kyle asked as they headed in.

"Tired.." Drew answered. This was evident, because dark circles under his eyes were clearly visible to confirm that.

Bebe nodded and added,

"Same here.. Probably more so! Pregnancy can wear you _out_!"

"Must feel good, huh? To skip the hard parts?" Drew joked towards Jack and Kyle, referring to Amelia.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah..."

Kyle then added. "I can't wait for Amelia to meet your guys' baby… I hope they grow to be good friends..."

"Me too." Bebe responded. There was a subtle look on her face that appeared to be one of concern. If one wasn't paying close attention, they might miss it. Drew, now being a self-certified 'genius' in psychology, picked up on this straight away.

"What's wrong, babe? Is something bothering you?.." Drew asked.

Bebe widened her eyes for a split second, before just accepting it. She sighed, before nodding.

"It's just that.." Bebe began. "I've been growing _so_ quickly! I'm getting so _fat_ really quickly! This- This isn't _normal_ , is it? This feels so.. _unnatural_! It feels like Kenzi's ready to pop out any _day_ now! I can't explain it.. It's only _been_ like, what, a month?"

Bebe then gasped, as if having a sudden revelation.

"How could I even know the _gender_ of the baby this _early_!? Why didn't I _think_ of that? How the fuck is this _possible_!? I-"

Drew put a comforting hand on Bebe's shoulder, trying to calm her down, since she was causing some of the people in the diner to look in their direction.

"Bebe, _calm_ down.. I _promise_ it will all be okay." Drew shook his head. "I don't know what it is either.. But as long as that baby is healthy, then that's all that matters."

Jack nodded. "I'm sure she will be."

However, he too seemed to be brooding about something. "A baby is a miracle though...We may not have expected her, but Amelia is definitely a blessing." Jack declared.

Bebe looked down with a sigh, appearing to have calmed down a bit.

"You're- You're _right_.." She said. "I'm sorry about that, it's just- This is all so _weird_ and abnormal! And I'm just so _stressed_.."

Drew kept the same comforting tone in his voice,

"I _understand_.. I'm stressed out too. But together, we're gonna _love_ that girl and raise her the best we possibly can. That's all we can do. She's _lucky_ that she'll have a Mom like you.." Drew ended with a smile.

Bebe smiled warmly in return and gave Drew a quick kiss on the lips.

"And she'll be lucky to have a _Dad_ like you.. You're the greatest man I've ever met, and I'm _glad_ I have you.. That we have _each other_.."

Drew pulled Bebe into an embrace.

"I couldn't agree more.. I'm glad I have you too.." He said. A few seconds later, the two pulled away, finally ready to get back to the matter at hand, and why they came here.

Kyle decided to ask Drew a question soon after. "How is little Adia doing?"

Drew smirked and rolled his eyes slightly, in thought,

"Well.. Besides wearing all of us out with all that _energy_ she has, I'd say pretty good!"

Jack chuckled. "That was adorable how she called you her dad that night."

Bebe put her hands over her chest and cooed,

"I knowww.."

Drew rolled his eyes once more, before responding,

"Yeah, it _was_ pretty cute, honestly.. I practically _am_ in a weird way. All she's ever _known_ to live at was my place, and I'm the male figure most prominent in her life, so it makes sense."

Drew smiled and finished jokingly,

"I suppose in a way, I'm getting my fathering skills ready for when Kenzi gets here."

Kyle grinned, and responded. "Amelia said her first word today."

"Aww, really?" Bebe asked. "What did she _say_?"

"'Brother' to Simba." Jack replied. "They're really close, the pair of them. All three of our kids are really close it seems. Rexy's getting pretty big though. I'm considering opening a park with dinosaurs, and have her be the first attraction."

"No kidding?" Drew casually asked, cocking a brow while looking at the menu.

Jack nodded.

He then added. "I might also..." He stopped. "Nevermind."

Drew glanced up slightly this time, noticing the doubt within Jack immediately.

"What is it?" Drew asked.

Jack took a deep breath.

"I...came across a transmission. Cartman...he's talking to someone. That person...is going to aid him soon. But I don't know when. All I know is he's a huge threat."

Drew's expression immediately became a serious one. Sure, to everyone else he couldn't 'fight' anymore.. But that _didn't_ mean his alter ego couldn't..

"Who is it?" Drew questioned Jack. "What kind of a threat?"

"He said he'll arrive soon, that he needs to build up his numbers with _his_ replicator. But the way he spoke, suggested he's...not human, or even from this world. I remember his name, Zillum."

"Zillum.." Drew repeated just above a whisper.

' _If Jack appears this on edge about this 'Zillum', then it can't be good.. I might be a powerful fighter, but I can't underestimate him. I don't know how he operates; What his motives and overall strategy is yet.. I'll need to be careful.. But I think it can be done!'_ Drew thought to himself.

 **A/N: I got permission from Cyrannian on the Sporewiki to use Zillum! I do not own him, or any of Cyrannian's other characters!**

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Jack, Kyle, Drew and Bebe headed out of the restaurant towards the parking lot. Kyle could tell Jack was still on edge. "It's okay. I'm sure you'll be able to defeat him. You beat Cartman twice, right?"

Jack was about to reply, before he sensed _something_ in the force. He stopped, paling slightly This _wasn't_ Cartman. It was far worse…

Drew sensed something wasn't quite right either.. He gritted his teeth, having a _pretty_ good assumption on who it might have been based off their earlier conversation.

"Bebe.. _Get_ behind me!" Drew said. Bebe was about to protest, but then she saw what everyone else was seeing.

"The force is with you young Skywalker..." A voice said mockingly. "But you are not a Jedi yet..."

Everyone turned, to see a seven and a half foot tall, muscular _creature_ step into view. He wore jet black armor, and had reptilian features, including a vaguely dinosaur-like face, at the top of which was a fin-like crest.

Jack's eyes widened. He knew who this was.

Zillum crossed his arms. He looked to Drew, before grinning slightly. "Such a shame your powers were lost. Based on what my human ally has described, the two of you could have made a good team..."

Drew merely kept a scowl on his face, spitting,

" _Zillum_ , I presume?"

The creature nodded. He turned to the others, and looked at Jack.

Jack took a deep breath, and walked forward a few feet.

Kyle's eyes widened as Jack activated his lightsaber and held it at the ready.

Bebe didn't make a sound.. She stayed absolutely silent, afraid for what might happen to her, Drew, or their baby if she were the center of attention.

Zillum activated a blood red lightsaber of his own, and held it at the ready, though did so with only one hand, and very casually.

Jack attempted his first strike. Zillum blocked it with ease.

Jack did two more, and the same result occurred.

As Jack's third attack was pushed back, he fell to the ground, but Zillum didn't immediately attempt to finish him.

"All too easy..." Zillum said dismissively.

Jack narrowed his eyes, and sent a torrent of force lightning at Zillum. Zillum was momentarily surprised, but quickly blocked it as Jack got up.

"Impressive." Zillum mused.

He sent his first attack, a downwards slash at Jack's legs. Jack blocked it.

" _Most_ impressive."

With Zillum seemingly distracted with Jack, Drew turned to Bebe and Kyle, saying,

"We should get to _safety_. You guys aren't safe here.. I'll come back for Jack."

Kyle was about to protest, before they heard a loud yell.

They turned to see Jack had been forced back slightly, and was grasping his shoulder, where they could see a burn mark.

Zillum grinned malevolently, and Jack _barely_ dodged a trash can Zillum had sent his way. He only barely managed to block the next series of attacks, and was quickly pushed against a car.

Jack's lightsaber was slowly being pushed towards his throat. "You are strong, boy, but you are not strong enough..." Zillum growled.

"No!" Kyle yelled.

Zillum turned slightly. Jack's eyes widened, and he shoved Zillum back a bit. He held his lightsaber up again as he got between his friends and Zillum.

Jack looked at Drew tearfully. "Get Kyle out of here!" He whispered.

Drew stood there with an expression of anger, looking towards Zillum venomously. However, he realized that there wasn't much he could do.. Even if his identity _was_ hidden right now.. Zillum simply looked _too_ powerful.

"Stay safe, my friend.." Drew muttered to Jack, before grabbing Bebe and Kyle by the arms and running in the opposite direction.

"NO!" Kyle yelled, as Drew had to practically drag him away.

Zillum grinned. "Your love is a weakness your enemies will exploit..."

He then sent a series of attacks against Jack that pulverized his defenses. Every strike sent him back as he tried desperately to defend himself.

Drew, Kyle and Bebe froze when they heard a loud scream.

They turned, and saw Jack lying on the ground, clutching his arm.

His hand...it was _gone_! Zillum had cut it _off_!

Drew gritted his teeth in boiling rage, but kept his emotions in check. He had a _job_ to do that Jack trusted him with, and he would _fulfill_ that obligation!

Bebe and Kyle appeared utterly frozen.. Kyle looked just about ready to have a _panic_ attack!

Zillum loomed over Jack. "Know this... you are a _child._ Unbalanced. Impulsive. _Weak_. You will lose this war. Enjoy this mercy I give you now. Because the next time we meet, you will watch _everything_ you love _burn_. And you will _know_ the meaning of the word _failure_."

He then swung his lightsaber up across Jack's face, causing him to yell again, clutching his face with his free hand. Zillum sent one last look in Drew, Bebe, and Kyle's direction, before walking off into the night.

Jack still clutched his face in agony, and was crumpled on the floor of the parking lot.

Drew turned to Kyle and Bebe.

"Get in the car and start it! We need to get Jack to a Replicator _now_! Didn't you say you left it at home?" He asked Kyle.

Kyle nodded blankly.

Drew said no more and left Bebe and Kyle to do what was asked of them. He rushed across the parking lot and in Jack's direction, hoping to _God_ that he was still alive!

When he finally reached him, he saw that Jack was still breathing, but he was still. Drew knelt down, a tearful expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, my friend.. That I couldn't do more.." Drew muttered.

Drew helped him up, and he saw a long burn mark on his left eye. It would scar over most likely…

Bebe drove the car they had came in over to Drew and Jack's direction. Kyle was in the backseat, waiting anxiously to see Jack's current state. Kyle also knew that's where Jack would most likely be placed.

Drew laid Jack across the backseat, Jack's head resting on Kyle's lap. Kyle's eyes widened as he saw the scar on Jack's face.

By this point, he was unconscious.

They needed to get him home _now_!

Drew quickly got in the passenger seat and told Bebe,

"Let's go. We need to _hurry_!"

' _Third degree burns on multiple locations on his body.. Deep lacerations that are enough to kill any large man.. An amputated arm with a sizeable blood flow leaking from his body.. He has only minutes at best..'_ Drew diagnosed in his head; getting a better grip for how dire this situation really was.

Bebe nodded knowingly, before speeding off in the direction of Jack's house..

The whole car ride was eerily silent the entire way there..

When they got to Jack's house, Drew rushed him inside, while Kyle and Bebe followed nervously.

Bebe noticed Kyle's blank expression as he trailed behind them.

As Drew entered the data in the replicator, Bebe turned to Kyle.

"Jack will be okay.. We're at a Replicator now!" She tried to be reassuring, but failed, talking really nervous and unsure of herself.

Jack was unconscious by this point. Drew laid him on the couch, and began to enter the data in the Replicator.

Simba and Rexy walked into view.

Simba's eyes widened, and he stepped forward nervously. "Dad?"

No response. "Dad...come on! Dad!" He whimpered, on the verge of tears. This was _not_ happening again! It _couldn't_ be! He couldn't be losing another parent!

"Dammit!" Drew yelled, as if struggling with figuring out on some of how the Replicator operated. "Now is _not_ the time for this!"

Everyone stood there, their faces turning pale. This was coming down to the wire.. And all because Drew didn't fully know how to work a Replicator!

Drew was sweating, and was perhaps the most nervous he had _ever_ been in his life! He would _not_ lose his friend! He would _not_ let Kyle lose his love! He would _not_ let Simba lose another father!

"No! No! NO!" Kyle yelled finally as he begged Jack to come back.

"Oh, _oh_!" Drew yelled in victory. "I think I found it! _That's_ how you do it! Now.. _enter_." He then pressed the 'enter' button, to confirm the data he had just typed in.

He aimed it at Jack, and a blue light shot out. Jack's arm was healed, as were the cuts. But he lay still.

Kyle looked at Jack, and asked. "Jack?"

No response.

Kyle began to tear up again. "Jack?! Please! Don't leave us!"

Simba tried to nudge Jack, but there was no response.

Drew put his hand lightly on Jack's neck, feeling for any sort of pulse. Everyone in the room watched in dead silence. You could hear a _pin_ drop!

Drew sighed and closed his eyes, hanging his head down sorrowfully.

Everyone reacted prematurely, already knowing what was going to be said.

"I.." Drew began, turning to everyone. "I'm _sorry_.. Jack, he's.. He's _dead_.."

Kyle broke down immediately, and began to sob. "No! He can't be!"

Drew put his hand on Jack's neck again, double checking to make sure he hadn't made a mistake, but the result was the same..

"I'm sorry, Kyle.." Drew told him softly.

In the distance, they could hear the sound of artillery fire.

Kyle and Simba looked up, and in the crib, they could hear Amelia begin to cry.

Drew looked off to the side, ashamed that he wasn't fast enough.. He couldn't stand to be seen by Jack's family.. Not after that..

However, as he looked to the side, the Replicator caught his attention. He looked back to Jack's deceased body, his family looming over him in sadness, and finally back to the Replicator again.

Drew's face then turned to that of determination. He grabbed the Replicator and began to type in some more data.

Bebe gasped slightly and asked,

"Drew, what are you doing!?"

Drew's reply was simple,

"Saving my friend's _life_!"

He immediately made some defibrillators, and pressed them to Jack's chest. The first attempt got nothing. So he tried again. Nothing.

"Come on, _dammit_!" Drew yelled in agitation.

He brought the defibrillators together and charged another huge shock.

Drew took a deep breath and sent another shock into Jack's chest.

 _This_ time, however, he thought he could see some faint breathing!

Everyone looked in hope. Kyle and Simba in particular.

"Come on dad!" Simba whispered.

Drew charged up yet another shock for good measure, seeing his pulse was dropping down again.

 _Shock!_

The electricity went through Jack's body, finally appearing to jumpstart his heart again. Jack took a deep breath and began to cough heavily.

He gasped, and opened his eyes.

"Dad!" Simba yelled. Jack panted slightly, before looking towards the cub.

"Hey..." He said weakly as the cub nuzzled him lovingly.

He then saw Kyle.

He sat up, and Kyle latched onto him. "Thank god! Thank _god_!" Kyle whimpered.

"It's alright. I'm here. I'm here." Jack said.

He looked at Drew. "Thank you Drew. Thank you so much!"

Drew shook his head with a slight grin.

"You don't _have_ to thank me.. I was simply helping out my _friend_! I know you would've done the same for me.."

Jack nodded. "Let's hope I never have to..."

His face fell. "I'm so sorry guys..."

Kyle looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"For not being...strong enough-"

He was cut off by Drew, who attained a serious tone,

" _None_ of us would've been strong enough against that _animal_! Not even _me_ at my strongest back then.. There are some battles you just _can't_ win! You can only come back stronger the next time around."

Jack looked down. "He's allied to Cartman. He has a Replicator based on his conversations with the fat bastard. We're at a disadvantage. We need to be ready for anything at this point."

"What's _next_ for that fatass at this point!?" Bebe questioned. "Knowing him and his twisted mind, it could be _anything_! He never is _truly_ done with something, even if it seems like he is.. What else could he honestly be planning? _Assassins_?" She threw out there.

Jack cocked a brow, before replying. "Whatever it is, we need to be read-" He froze, before clutching his chest in pain.

Everyone yelped in surprise and locked their full attention onto Jack. Drew lightly grabbed ahold of him and prepared the defibrillators if necessary.

"Turn on the news!" Jack whispered. "Something terrible has happened!"

Everyone looked among each other, before Kyle grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. When it came on, they saw it was already on the news channel.

Images of a ruined city, blackened husks of once proud skyscrapers and ornate streets, filled the screen.

"Tom," the midget began. "I'm standing here in what _used_ to be our beautiful town of South Park.. But this story isn't _only_ news for South Park.. All across the majority of the _nation_ , destruction has laid in the wake of what sources have _told_ us to be.. a seven foot tall, scary lizard man!"

Jack's eyes widened. "No...That's-"

The images of a ruined White House filled the screen. "The President, the Cabinet, Congress, the Supreme Court. They're all... _gone_."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a large thud near the door.

Jack got up, and activated his lightsaber.

"Hey, have you seen the news?" a familiar voice asked. Everyone in the house sighed in relief as they knew the voice belonged to Alex.

Jack lowered his blade, and turned to the TV. "That _bastard_ destroyed an entire city!" He said.

"Y'know, it's quite difficult conversing with you with a thick piece of wood in the way," Alex called.

Jack used the force to open the door, but didn't acknowledge Alex. "Alex, let Grant and Lee know that we're moving out _now_! Cartman is coming and we're going to meet him!"

Alex erected his thumbs. "Okay smokey," he confirmed.

Drew looked at the images on TV with a scowl on his face. He didn't show any blind rage, but more so one that was deep in thought.. He was secretly plotting something.

' _This has gone TOO far!'_ Drew angrily thought to himself. ' _I'll find Zillum, and I'll KILL him, myself!'_

Jack looked around. Kyle looked at him with fear in his eyes. Not towards Jack, but towards the entire situation.

Jack took a deep breath, and pulled Kyle into a hug. "I'll come back for you. But I _have_ to fight this time."

Kyle whispered softly. "I know."

Jack pulled away after a bit. "Alex, let's go. We have a war to win!"

"Right behind ya!" Alex affirmed.

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Jack took a deep breath, as he sat in the news-station. "Greetings, American citizens, allied peoples and nations...free men, women and children all over the world."

He stopped. "The days ahead are dark, yes. We face an enemy greater than any of us could have ever imagined."

He looked to his friends waiting on the sidelines. Drew and Bebe. Stan and Kenny. Alex and Cate. His generals. His allies. His family…

He turned, and stood up.

"But we are _not_ defeated! We shall go on to the _end_!" He said firmly. "We will _never_ surrender, flag or fail! As Churchill said in the summer of 1940, we will 'fight on the beaches! On the landing grounds! In the fields! In the streets! We shall fight in the hills!'"

Everyone stood perfectly still, listening on to Jack's speech.. Minus one. Drew was zoned out of it, planning out in his head how he would go about killing Zillum, and what he would tell Bebe..

' _Perhaps I can tell her I'm fighting in the war too.. She knows I despise war, but even in times like this, even she would be compelled to believe me if I told her.. I don't like lying to her, but I don't have any other choice, at this point..'_ Drew took a deep breath. ' _Regardless, Zillum will die! If not at their hands, then by mine! He WILL be stopped! He needs to, before more innocents die!'_

"The Grand Army, and the United States will stand and _fight_! Though our government has been lost, our _people's_ strength _remains_. We will stand against the alien invader! We will stand as _one_. For each other! Not for borders or money or resources! But for our _future_! Our liberty, our homes, our _hope_ , is under attack! And as was done against the greatest evil eighty years ago, we will _triumph_! And we will step forward to the rescue and the liberation of _all_ men, women and children of our small blue planet! White, black, Asian, Arab, Indian, male, female, young, old! We will _unite_ as _one_! For the freedom and liberty of _all_ people!"

Everyone stood to their feet and gave a round of applause. A new spark of determination had _just_ been lit within everyone present!

And across the world, that same determination, and defiance was roused! There was determination to _win_ at _any_ cost!

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Jack took a deep breath as he walked down the street with Drew. He had asked him if they could have a private word, before they moved against Zillum. Drew had already informed everyone of his interest in 'joining' the war effort..

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Drew questioned Jack.

"We have the weight of the world on our shoulders..." Jack said softly. "I never wanted this. None of it...Not the replicator. Not the army. Not the war...I just...want my family. And peace."

Drew looked at Jack in silence, before looking down.

"We all do.." Drew replied simply. "No one _wants_ war.. None except for the corrupt and the wicked! Raising my daughter with Bebe is all I want in life.. To raise _Adia_ as my own.. To live my life here in this small town, with some of the _few_ people in my life who I can _actually_ call 'friends'.."

Jack nodded. "I don't want to leave Kyle...But I have no choice."

Drew looked down in guilt. He knew he was doing 'the same thing' to Bebe, but the only _difference_ was he was _lying_! Not only to her, but to _everyone_! Drew planned to fight in _no_ war, instead taking matters into his own hands, under the alibi of serving under the Allied forces.

"Neither do I.." Drew responded simply, covering up the guilt and the lies lingering within him.

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm going to kill Cartman when I see him next. He's gone too far..."

Drew nodded in understanding.

"I don't blame you.. I always like to think there's good in everyone, but as for _him_?" Drew shook his head, saying nothing after that.

Jack nodded. "You want to know something Drew?"

He looked at him. "In some ways, the war began before the first shot was ever fired. Before the first shot was ever fired. When I fought Cartman for the first time...When he hurt Kyle...I...It's my fault. I shouldn't have let him live after that first fight."

"Then the authorities would've been all over you.." Drew pointed out. "I know how much you may regret some of your decisions.. You may think some of what you done 'wasn't right'.. But look on the bright side: at least we're all still okay, and the world now _truly_ sees Cartman for the _monster_ he really is!"

Jack nodded. "But by now, we have lost seven hundred thousand people over the past weeks. Seven hundred thousand, almost all civilians, are dead because of this. If my life is the price of Kyle and my family surviving the war-"

"It won't _have_ to!" Drew cut him off. "I _promise_ you that.. I'm confident that if we all come together and form a solid strategy against these animals, then we can show them who's boss and defeat them! Cartman _included_!"

Jack sighed. "You know what I want for Christmas?"

Drew smirked and joked to lighten up the mood,

"What, to hit the jackpot in the lotto?" He paused briefly and added, "What am I saying? You're rich enough as it is." He ended with a laugh.

Jack sighed. "I want to build a house in Montana or something. A nice little property for me and my family. Where we can raise Amelia and Simba."

Drew cocked a brow.

"You're moving out of South Park?" He questioned. He sighed and added, "Well, can't say I blame you _too_ much.. South Park hasn't exactly been the safest place lately. I've always wanted to move back to Missouri one day. As traumatizing as my childhood was because of _Brandon_ ," Drew spat his biological father's name venomously. "I always _did_ have a soft spot for the countryside.. It was a beautiful place. Nice and quiet.. Peaceful.."

Jack chuckled. "I didn't say this time period...and maybe I should have said something other than Montana...Just...a place, where we can be a family. Even if I have to go to other worlds or time periods, I will find a peaceful place. For my Kylie and my daughter."

Drew stood in silence, his hands in his coat pockets, standing beside Jack in the chilly Colorado air. Drew looked out in the distance, in the sky, and at the full moon.

"That's what we want for _all_ of us.." Drew simply stated.

The two continued to stand in silence for close to a minute, simply looking out into the sky.

"So.. I have a question for _you_ , if you don't mind me saying." Drew said, breaking the silence.

Jack nodded.

"Well.." Drew began, looking down now. "What do you think of.. of that _guy_? Y'know.. The 'Dark Knight' I think Wendy called him.. Do you think- Do you think he can be trusted? Do you think he's doing the right thing?.."

Jack looked at him. "I don't know yet. But I know if it wasn't for him...I wouldn't be here. I owe him that."

Drew nodded, finally turning to look at Jack.

"I suppose.. good things, can come from those you _least_ expect." Drew stated.

Jack looked down. "I..." He trailed off, looking pensively at the ground.

He took a deep breath. "Promise you won't laugh?"

Drew simply nodded his head, waiting for Jack to continue with what he was going to say.

He looked Drew in the eye. "I...am considering proposing to Kyle..."

Drew's reaction, to Jack, was surprising. He didn't get all excited and shower him with congratulations, nor did he flip out in any way.

Drew simply stood there with a neutral expression and spoke briefly,

"The heart desires what the heart desires.. If it leads you towards the direction of marriage, then that should be the right choice."

Jack smiled slightly. "I really do love him. And...if he says yes, I want you to be my best man."

Drew stood there for a bit, beginning to process what he had just been told. Drew put his right hand over his chest and gave a gracious, traditional bow.

"It would be an honor." He said.

Jack smiled. "I really must say, that I can't wait to meet your daughter...That is another bright spot in this war."

Drew nodded, and sighed.

"Bright spot, _indeed_.. But certainly one that is the most _vulnerable_. That is the reason I'm _aiding_ in the war effort, Jack.. For Bebe, for my _daughter_ , for the innocents who keep _dying_! And also for those who are special to _them_.."

Drew looked to the side and finished,

"You might get to meet her _sooner_ than you might think.."

Jack looked at him. "Whatever happens, I will protect her like my own family. After all..."

He looked at Drew. "I consider you my brother, and that would make her my niece. And family sticks together."

Drew grinned slightly upon hearing that, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Thanks.." Drew said. "And this goes the other way _around_ too, I hope you know."

Jack smiled back. Then his smile fell. "I don't want Amelia to grow up in a world at war. I fear that other nations may attempt to expand their own power while we fight Cartman, and we will be forced to deal with them after defeating the fat bastard. I...fear that if others have Replicators, then they may use them against us. Cartman is proof of the danger of a replicator."

"How many Replicators do you think are even _out_ there?" Drew asked.

Jack shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to be ready for anything."

"And we _will_ be." Drew said with determination. He looked off to the side and thought,

' _I'll be SURE of that..'_

Jack stopped for a second, and turned to Drew. "I want to propose to Kyle now. Because I don't know what the future holds."

Drew looked at him.

"No one's stopping you.." He said.

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"So...Drew?" Stan asked. "Why is it that Jack wants us all here?"

Kyle, Stan, Kenny, Bebe, and Drew were all waiting by Stark's Pond, Jack said he'd meet them there.

Drew simply looked at Stan and vaguely said,

"You'll see."

Bebe rolled her eyes.

"Oh come _on_ , Drew.. You mean you can't even give us a _hint_?"

"Nope." Drew bluntly said, a smirk on his face.

"Dick.." Bebe smirked.

Finally, Jack walked up. He looked very nervous.

Kyle cocked a brow. "What is it?" He asked, walking up a bit.

Jack looked to Drew nervously. He was asking for silent reassurance.

Drew merely nodded, as if giving Jack the 'go ahead'.

Jack looked at Kyle, and he knelt down.

Kyle's eyes widened in absolute shock. He _didn't_ expect this!

"Kyle Broflovski," Jack began. "I love you with all my heart. I promise to protect and respect you as long as you live. To comfort you when you're hurting. To laugh with you when you are happy. To stand by you through the darkest of times. I have never loved anyone like I love you...will you marry me?"

He held up a diamond ring.

Stan, Kenny, and Bebe all gasped in shock. They were in disbelief at what they were witnessing.

Out of instinct, Stan looked about ready to protest, only for Kenny to put a hand on his shoulder.

Nothing was said, but the look in both friends' eyes meant enough.. That look they gave each other; it was almost like a sign that their time 'watching over' Kyle like a hawk were over.

They just let things unfold.

Kyle blinked in shock, before he smiled. "Yes..." He said softly.

Jack smiled sadly as he stood up, and the two embraced.

After a few short moments, they pulled apart, before Kyle turned to Stan and Kenny. "Guys..." he began. "Would you guys..." He hesitated. "Walk me down the aisle?"

To Kyle's surprise, it didn't take the two long to respond. Both nodded their heads with smiles on their faces. Stan pulled Kyle into a small hug, followed by Kenny.

"We're happy for you, dude.." Stan said.

Kyle's smile widened. "Thank you...For watching over me. For being there when I needed you most."

Kyle walked back towards Jack, who looked at Stan and Kenny nervously. It was one thing being a boyfriend, but being a _spouse_ … He awaited what they had to say to _him_.

"Kyle.." Stan stated. "Me and Kenny have been with you from the _beginning_.. Ever since _preschool_! We all stuck by you, and you've done the same.." Stan then smiled. "And that means we're gonna be with you until the _end_ , too.. We looked out for and protected you over the years because we _love_ you.. Plain and simple."

Stan then turned to Jack.

"I see he makes you happy, and well.. He's a _good_ man! I think you guys are _made_ for each other."

Kyle smiled slightly, as did Jack. Hopefully things could only go up from here. Even now, even in the middle of a war...

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"What is it?" Alex asked as he saw Jack looking over a map.

Jack sighed. "You don't want to know..."

"Jack, you're my joint dearest friend, tied with Drew. You can tell me anything and I would only ever respond as a friend," Alex declared.

Jack sighed. "You know how the government was destroyed?"

"Yeah, 'orbital bombardment' by that lizard dude," Alex said.

Jack took a deep breath. "Well, it seems other people have Replicators, and they're using them now that the world is at war. Some guy in Russia, Aleksei Romanov has launched a coup and declared a new Soviet Union, and is working with China."

"Well… that complicates things…" Alex understated.

"Some guy called Kane is forming a "brotherhood", three people in the US are forming their own factions. We're at _war_ with the world!"

"Damn, I never thought that I would see a World War in my lifetime. I thought humanity had evolved from that type of conflict. Evidently not. Do you believe that humanity is condemned to a vicious cycle of peace and war?" Alex wondered.

Jack nodded. "It's a cycle. There will always be a war in the future. It's just a matter of when..."

"I suppose… There cannot be peace without war, so why can't we settle for contentment?" Alex asked rhetorically.

Jack sighed. "Pakistan announced its support for the 'Coalition', the Russo-Chinese alliance, and India has proceeded to join us. And Vietnam has declared its support for us."

"Oh, God.. the border is going to be even _more_ fun," Alex said sarcastically.

Jack shrugged. "That's not the only thing I'm worried about. I'm worried about the smaller conflicts. People will use this clusterfuck to settle old grudges."

"I'm not sure if this war will end with Cartman's death. These smaller conflicts will continue beyond _our_ war," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "The days ahead are darker then we could have imagined. This war will ravage the entire world, and in the end, only one side will win."

"There is no side that will 'win' a war, only those who lose the least," Alex declared his opinion.

"Indeed. Whatever happens, cities will burn, innocents will die, and the world will be scarred..."

He looked out towards the city. "This is just one front in that war."

"I wonder how my family who are still living in London are faring?" Alex questioned.

Jack sighed. "I proposed to Kyle today. Because I was worried I wouldn't ever get a chance to at this rate."

"Oh, congratulations man! Puh, here's me talking about my own issues," Alex chuckled.

Jack sighed again. "Have you tried calling your family?"

"Not since war was declared. They said the government were reinstalling air raid sirens!" Alex said.

Jack cocked a brow. "World War II flashbacks, eh?"

"Yeah. It's a shame because my great grandfather, who died in World War I, he envisaged a world in which we would cooperate in peace and treat each other with respect. Sadly, the ideas for which he died for are a long way off yet," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "Less than a month before the hundred year anniversary of the end of World War I...World War III begins."

"Who would have thought that a high school fight would trigger the Third World War?" Alex said while shaking his head.

Jack sighed. "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I feel awful. I don't want to leave Kyle here while I fight, but I have to if I am going to protect him...I don't know _what_ to do. "

"If that is what must be done for you to protect him, then by all means do it. If it means that you will have a reason to fight, if his presence, his memory, his existence spur you on to fight, then so be it. Just make sure he is safe, and... try not to die again," Alex said.

Jack chuckled. "I will definitely try..."

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Jack held up a blueprint, showing it to his generals. "This," he explained. "Is the _Redeemer_ -class Star Destroyer, the future of warfare."

"That is exquisite!" Alex commented.

Jack nodded. "She is 1,500 meters in length, can carry a full division and all its forces. She can move at 1,500 miles per hour in the atmosphere, and far faster in space. She can also carry a full wing of fighters, fifty craft, and supplies for up to a year."

"That's like… what? About ten Helicarriers worth?" Steve Rogers guessed.

Jack nodded. "These ships will make war far faster and quicker. Instead of taking weeks or months to mobilize, we can do so in _days_."

"That's impressive, but not as impressive as, say… assembling a particle accelerator in less than a day… without cheating," Tony Stark compared and said the last bit while looking at Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes. "We will deploy three, and confront Zillum _directly_."

"Haha, we'll catch him in the middle of him shedding his skin," Clint Barton laughed.

"Indeed..." a cool, collected voice commented, walking into view.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to our fleet commander, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"Oh, that's the guy from… oh, yeah, we're going to win easily," Alex said.

Thrawn stepped forward, looking over a map. "The enemy has established a base of operations on the moon of this planet…" He observed. "We will engage them near the International Space Station..."

He pulled up a hologram. "The enemy fleet will likely move to engage us. We can use the Station as cover for our left flank. We will lure them in, and when their ships have sufficiently engaged our Star Destroyers, we will deploy our fighters and focus our efforts on the Destroyer on their flank. We will turn their flank and broadside their flagship into oblivion. From there, the lead Star Destroyer can cut them off from their base, and we can destroy them."

"Nice," Alex simply commented.

Jack nodded. "Very impressive, Admiral. I trust you can secure space above North America?"

Thrawn nodded. "I will do so with a single swift blow. We will pull them apart piece by piece. They will be the architects of their own destruction."

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It was growing into the late night hours, and Drew had just exited his apartment, trying his best to stay quiet. He decided to go out for a walk after yet _another_ nightmare!

It was that _same_ recurring one where his friends and family are dead and guilt trip him, followed by that random and _bizarre_ ending of a swarm of bats flying directly at him.

Needless to say, Drew felt _terrible_! About _everything_! He felt _guilty_ about lying to everyone he loved about his true intentions.. Drew had _told_ them that he could no longer fight, which couldn't be _further_ from the truth!

He still had those _damned_ Blades of Chaos attached to his arms, and had the strength of a _god_! Drew _hated_ it! He couldn't _stand_ it! He could stand _none_ of what was going on!

Drew kicked a beer can that had been littered onto the street in anger. After getting that small amount out of his system, he roughly stuffed his hands in his coat pockets to warm up from the cold.

South Park was like a _ghost_ town this late at night! There wasn't a _soul_ to be seen or heard anywhere around the surrounding area..

Drew didn't know why, but it almost seemed.. _too_ quiet to him… He felt the strange sensation that he was being _stalked_!

Before Drew could take another step, his eyes widened when he heard the quick, sharp sound of multiple swords being unsheathed.

He ducked his head just in time, narrowly avoiding being decapitated by two swords. The two swords collided, giving Drew a brief moment to catch a glance at his attackers.

They were two ninjas, both female. The two ninjas did a backwards somersault to create some distance, and held their blades in a fighting stance.

Drew assumed a more Tae Kwon Do type of stance and stood at the ready to defend himself from these unexpected assailants.

Drew looked in horror as he saw that these two female ninjas were _not_ the only ones present..

What looked about _20_ more ninjas, _all_ female once again, _surrounded_ Drew in a circle, their blades all drawn to kill. The ninjas were all covered in black clothing, staying silent and not making any sudden movements.

They were all clearly _very_ disciplined.

Finally, one ninja that was behind Drew decided to take a swing. Drew moved his head to the side, narrowly avoiding being decapitated once again, before he grabbed the hilt of the sword and smacked her in the face with it, causing her to loosen her grip for a split second.

In that small timeframe, Drew snatched the sword out of her hand and kicked her in the ribs, which brought the ninja to her knees.

Drew held the sword up defensively, ready to take their heads off if he had to.

This time, _two_ ninjas moved in, mixing in some martial arts with their sword swings. Drew was kicked in the side of the head, which staggered him, but he parried the sword swings with his own sword.

 _Clink!_

 _Clang!_

The sounds of swords connecting was heard around the surrounding area for the next couple minutes. Drew had managed to knock about 7 ninjas unconscious, but the numbers disadvantage that he had was _clearly_ beginning to take its toll..

Drew slashed a ninja in the arm with his sword, gaining a groan of pain from her. He sent a right hook into her temple, knocking her unconscious.

Out of seemingly nowhere, before he could even see it coming, Drew was impaled in the back by an unsuspecting blade.

"AGHH!" Drew yelled in pain. He fell to his knees, dropping his sword to the ground. A ninja kicked it out of his reach and put her sword up to his neck.

This was it..

He was going to _die_..

And he was dying a _liar_!

A _liar_ who didn't even get a chance to say goodbye..

"Halt!" A masculine voice yelled out.

The ninjas all twirled their swords in a disciplined, traditional manner and stood up straight. It was almost like the military..

Just who _were_ these ninjas?

Drew breathed heavily as he looked up and saw the man walk towards him.

The man had a.. _strange_ aura about him… He looked old, but at the same time, he actually appeared to be rather _young_!

He had grey hair with some white streaks in them, along with a soul patch and some thick sideburns. The man held his own sword with him, one that stood out from the rest. It resembled closely to a scimitar.

The man stood over Drew and extended his hand out to him, as if offering him a helping hand to his feet.

Normally Drew would be more cautious and resenting of guys like this, but at this point, he didn't _care_!

He accepted the help, and slowly stood back up to his feet. A surge of pain went through Drew's back, which almost caused him to fall. There was an evident slouch in Drew's posture. The pain was simply _unbearable_!

"I am _impressed_.." The man finally told Drew. Drew looked at him with a cocked brow, followed by a scowl, demanding,

" _Who_ are you? Why did your ninjas _attack_ me? What is going _on_!?"

The man chuckled slightly, replying,

"So demanding.. Such _persistence_.. A trait I can respect _very_ much." The man looked up at Drew and began to explain, "This was a _test_.. To prove your _worth_. I have been _watching_ you.. and I _must_ say, for an Outsider, you did _not_ disappoint.."

Drew scowled once again.

"A _test_!?" Drew exclaimed. "What the hell do you _mean_ , 'for an Outsider'? I was almost _killed_ because of your ninjas! And all because of some ridiculous _test_!?"

"Not just _any_ test.." The man stated, stepping away slightly, to give Drew some space. "A test, to show that you are skilled enough to join our _cause_.."

"And what 'cause' is that!?" Drew demanded.

The man sighed, before saying,

"Allow me to introduce myself.. I am Ra's Al Ghul! Leader of the League Of _Assassins_!" He stepped a bit closer once more and continued, "The League Of Assassins is all about one thing: destroying evil where it _stands_!"

Ra's began to pace back and forth as he continued his explanation.

"This world, it is _filled_ with impurities! Just take a look at what has transpired _here_! Some obese student has taken his hatred and evil to the next _level_.. With his Replicator, he has brought back perhaps the most heinous regime in the world's _history_.." Ra's looked up at Drew. "The League Of Assassins, we plan to _dismantle_ this regime, and any other source of _evil_ that lurks in the shadow of this world.. We will destroy it, and it will he no more!"

Drew absorbed this information, before remarking,

"Well you certainly have a funny way of showing it.."

Ra's said nothing, only teaching into his pocket to pull out something. Drew readied himself the best he could, in case it was a weapon.

To his surprise, Ra's pulled out a-

"I- Is _that_.." Drew stuttered, looking absolutely _stunned_ at what he was seeing.

It was a Replicator!

Ra's typed in some data, and with the click of a button, a beam shot into Drew's back, stabilizing the broken tissue from the wound.

Just like that, his back was _healed_!

"What the-" Drew began. "I didn't even know the Replicator could heal anyone _that_ way! I thought you actually had to _make_ the- Hey, _wait_ a minute!" Drew's face turned very serious.

Ra's could only chuckle.

"Surprised?" He questioned Drew.

"Where did you _get_ tha-" Drew began to ask, before Ra's tossed it at him, catching him off guard. Drew barely managed to catch it, widening his eyes in surprise.

"A man of your caliber.." Ra's began. "One with such _skill_ in combat and with the tenacity to do good? You deserved this Replicator.. Make _good_ use of it, as I _know_ you will."

Drew stared at the Replicator in his hands, too stunned to speak.

"Should you ever decide to join our cause, we will _find_ you.." Ra's stated, before he and his ninjas all turned away from Drew.

Ra's turned back with a smirk and finished,

"Oh, and I suggest getting a better change of attire if you're going to resort to vigilantism.. The fabric you wore in that battle can only last for _so_ long with the lack of durability it contains.. Farewell, Drew.."

Drew widened his eyes in shock.

"Wait! How did you-"

With that, Ra's and his ninjas all vanished into bits of smoke.

"-know it was me.." Drew finished with a mutter.

Now he was all alone, a Replicator in his hands, free to do with it _whatever_ he wanted!

Drew hadn't asked Jack to attempt it, nor did he ever _assume_ he tried to attempt it, but Drew began to type in some data, experimenting a little bit.

' _I wonder if I can-'_ Drew began to think, before a beam of the same caliber Ra's had shot into his back, now shot into both of his arms.

A surge of pain flowed within his arms, causing him to grit his teeth in absolute pain. However, a mere several seconds later, out of the blue, the pain _stopped_.. And his arms felt the pure chill of the night.

Drew took off his coat and looked at his arms, gasping upon seeing the sight of bare flesh. He smiled wide, sensing that perhaps his experimenting had _actually_ worked!

To test it out, Drew punched a nearby street sign, and to his joy, he actually felt a bit of _pain_ in his hand! And the street sign didn't seem to have a _dent_ in it!

He had _done_ it! The Blades Of Chaos were _gone_! His godlike strength was _gone_! He was finally a regular _human_ again!

Drew just about shouted in pure joy upon finding out he had succeeded in ridding himself of this curse, but instead, he looked back at the Replicator, a smirk on his face.

"I suppose a 'change of attire' like that Ra's guy mentioned wouldn't be a bad start.." Drew whispered to himself.

As he typed in some data into the Replicator, Drew thought,

' _And I have JUST the idea for a design, and what it could be based on..'_

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Thrawn stood on the bridge of the _Resolute_ , flagship of the new fleet of Star Destroyers. Three would be deployed in this first battle. Three marvels of engineering. Perfect vessels that would be designed to match entire squadrons of enemy ships…

Their main weapons were positioned so that when fighting enemies in front of, behind, and to the sides, they could bring _all_ their weapons to bear, and if fighting above below, could bring half.

Finally, the expected enemy force dropped out of hyperspace. Thrawn noticed several of the crewmen show various signs of fear or at least trepidation. They were outnumbered. Seven enemy capital ships and eight frigates moved forward to engage them.

Thrawn turned, and said calmly. "Maintain the blockade, assume wedge formation."

The _Resolute_ , at the very center, led the way, while the _Defender_ and _Redeemer_ moved to support her. As they formed into a wedge-shaped formation, Thrawn analyzed the enemy fleet on the hologram table.

"They have several transports guarded by escort frigates. They've positioned their destroyers too far apart...There are gaps in their lines."

He turned. " _Redeemer_ , you are to fall back to the rear of the formation and devote power to your weapons. _Defender_ , move up alongside _Resolute_ and move against their destroyers on the left. _Redeemer_ , provide cover fire. When I give the command, after we've lured their destroyers away, you are to advance on their frigates and transports."

As the fleet followed its' commanders orders, they began to come under heavy fire from the enemy fleet. The first volley of red turbolasers missed them, but it didn't take long for one to impact the front of the ship.

The _Resolute_ shook slightly, and Thrawn noticed a small, orange explosion on the right flank of the _Defender_.

"Oblique left, commence broadside when ready." Thrawn instructed simply.

He turned to the holotable. _Redeemer_ had maintained her position at the rear, and as expected, the enemy fleet was spreading out to try and chase the _Defender_ and _Resolute_ or rush through the growing gap between them and _Redeemer_.

"Blue Leader?" Thrawn asked on his communicator. "Admiral?"

"Is your squadron prepared to engage?"

"At your command we will move."

Thrawn shook his head. "No. You will wait until I give the order. Allow their fighters and that frigate through."

"Sir?"

"You heard me Blue Leader." Thrawn replied.

The _Redeemer_ continued to provide sniper shots, but nothing that would destroy an entire fleet. By this point, _Defender_ and _Resolute_ were prepared to broadside, the fighters were ready, and _Redeemer_ had devoted enough power for a "Barrage".

By this point, the _Defender_ had some damage, but it was in the desired position. As was the _Resolute_.

"Blue Leader, you are to engage." Thrawn ordered.

He turned, and added. " _Defender_ , target the engines of the lead destroyer. _Resolute,_ cut off the destroyers in the center from the transports. _Redeemer_ , commence broadside on the ships and craft in the gap."

That was all it took. In one sharp blow, their fleet _smashed_ through the enemy formation. _Redeemer_ 's charged up lasers carved through the frigates and strikecraft in the gap, while the fighters raced through, hunting down and destroying any survivors.

 _Resolute's_ well placed barrage gunned down one destroyer, and soon after, disabled the second. The fourth destroyer exploded as _Defender's_ lasers hit it's power core, and caused a massive explosion that consumed half of the remaining enemy fleet.

The last destroyer and the few remaining frigates were scattering in all directions in an attempt to escape.

" _Defender_ , target her bridge. _Redeemer_ , her engines. _Resolute_ , destroy her escort."

As the three Star Destroyers moved forward, they gunned down the enemy formation with ease, and within minutes, they had surrounded the last destroyer.

Thrawn watched as the last destroyer was hit with a barrage of lasers. The fleet was already victorious. It was now exploiting its success.

Thrawn half smiled. "Maximum fire."

With a few more well placed volleys, the last enemy ship broke apart in a fiery wreck, with one piece of wreckage crashing into one of the last two frigates.

"Disable that frigate. We will take prisoners for interrogation."

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' _This is all so weird!'_ Drew thought to himself.

Right now, he was standing in a secluded alley, away from any prying eyes. Not that there would be any this late, _anyways_..

After what felt like _hours_ of typing in data on the Replicator, Drew had _finally_ done it! He had created an actually _durable_ and _useful_ thing to wear as a vigilante!

Not only that, but he had created some cool _gadgets_ to go along with it that might help him along the way, along with some other cool add ons.

What was the design based on?

 _Bats_!

The recurring nightmare _stuck_ in Drew's mind, and the bats _always_ seemed to stick out the most to him!

He didn't understand _why_ they were there, or what _significance_ they had in the dream, but all he knew was the images clouded his _entire_ mind!

Drew called it a 'batsuit', which is self explanatory. The batsuit had an interesting design to it. He thought of an image that looked 'cool' but also would strike _fear_ into the hearts of criminals and the wicked!

The batsuit was mostly a dark blue. The shoulders, however, had golden metal guards that gave some extra support and protection. On his wrists, there were spiked, bladelike points that would help block on disarm blades, guns, or mostly any sort of weapon. In the center of his chest, a bright red gem shone brightly, giving the batsuit a complementary otherworldly feel to it. The eyes were slanted downwards and shone a bright red, which made it look similar to an intimidating demon-like creature.

The entirety of the cowl was a darkish blue, minus the bright red eyes, and concealed the entirety of Drew's face. Not a single bit of skin was exposed _anywhere_.. A yellow utility belt was wrapped around his waist, which is where his gadgets would be kept, in case he would ever need them. To top it all off, he had a cape, shaped to resemble closely to that of a bat's wings.

Drew had a _new_ identity for himself now! He had a _name_ for his vigilante alter ego; one that he wanted criminals to _remember_ and _fear_ as they passed out cold, or if they were evil enough, drew their last _breath_ as they were murdered.

That name?

 _Batman_.

 **A/N: For a visual reference of what batsuit this is supposed to be, this is the one from the 'Knightfall' comics that Azrael uses while he takes over the mantle of Batman.**

Batman pulled out what he called his 'grapnel', which was essentially a more technologically advanced automatic grappling hook, and decided to test it out for the first time. All of his other gadgets worked well, but only a few more still remained..

Batman took a deep breath, before he aimed at a nearby building and pulled the grapnel's trigger. He heard it hook into the building and latch in tightly, before he 'reeled' the line back in.

Once he did this, he shot up into the sky and towards where he had hooked into the building. This would help him get to high places, should he ever need to do that. It would also help him travel quicker around town if he had to. Well.. that is, unless the _glider_ worked..

Drew designed it to where his cape was supposed to catch the wind as he fell similar to a parachute, so that he could glide long distances and slow his fall _drastically_ to the point where no harm would occur.

To Batman's delight, it actually _worked_! When the grapnel's sturdy and almost unbreakable line finally reeled itself in, Batman was sent into the air, using his cape to glide in the direction of _another_ building.

He tried the same thing, this time while he was in midair. The grapnel solidly hooked into the building, and it was a _success_! All of his gadgets were working _perfectly_!

Drew landed on top of a building, which was right across from the South Park morgue. That was his destination anyways..

Batman figured now would be as _good_ a time as any to investigate the death of Harold Baker. Suicide just _didn't_ seem to add up completely.. There was no _guilt_ in his eyes when he had apprehended him that day! This didn't make any _sense_!

Batman sighed and activated his 'detective vision', which was built into the suit, and made it to where he would be able to see skeleton outlines of people through walls, which was their heat signatures, as well as highlight points of interest. Batman could see if they were alive or dead, what their heartbeat was, what their _mood_ was based off of their heartbeat..

It was also preprogrammed to where if anyone hostile had a firearm in their hands, their heat signature outline would be colored 'orange'. If they were unarmed, they would be 'blue'. It was _useful_ to say the least.

Looking through his detective vision, he could see two armed men, both standing guard just inside the front entrance. Batman didn't want to _hurt_ them, since they were just doing their job, so he looked around to see if there was an alternative way inside.

Seeing a blue highlighted 'weak structure', Batman knew what it was he could use to get past it. He glided over to the weak wall, which was probably years old, and pulled out his 'Explosive Gel'.

It was essentially a kind of spray that could be detonated like a bomb with the push of a button. Batman sprayed the weak wall with the explosive gel and turned away slightly. He pushed the button and it detonated, breaking through the wall with relative ease.

Walking through the new opening, Batman used his detective vision to seek out any possible entrance to the morgue from inside. He then noticed an air vent highlighted in a light orange.

' _There we go..'_ Batman thought.

Batman pulled out yet _another_ gadget, the 'Batclaw'. The Batclaw is used to hook onto out of reach objects that desperately needs opened. In this case, the air vent is really high up, so Batman can't just simply reach up and rip it from the wall with his hands.

The Batclaw latched onto the air vent, and with a hard pull, the vent came off. The vent could now be entered.

Batman grappled up into the vent and crawled through it, turning the detective vision off. There were no other armed men, so it was safe for now. He wouldn't need it until the investigation.

Batman finally made it to just above the room where all the bodies were kept. Pushing the vent off the wall with his foot, he dropped down to the floor as quiet as he could muster.

He walked throughout the room searching corpse's toe tags, looking for Harold Baker. After not even a minute of searching, Batman had found him. He pulled the blanket from off of him and turned on his detective vision yet again.

He held out his left wrist and typed in something on a small, built in computer on his Batsuit. When he was done, his detective vision had switched over to a 'crime scene' mode, which was for solving actual crimes like murder or arson on the field.

Batman looked over his body, before he picked up on a hole in his arm.

' _Detective mode tells me the hole's size matches perfectly with a syringe.. Now are there ANY trace elements of a poison?..'_ Batman thought.

He took out a syringe of his own, which was attached to what he called a 'blood tester', and drew some blood from Harold's body.

The results came back almost instantaneously.

' _Says here there are elements of cyanide in his bloodstream.. It was at its most strongest in his right arm, the same one where he was injected by a syringe.'_ Batman thought.

He stood in silence, absorbing the information.

' _Okay, I've now deduced the CAUSE of death.. Now I just need to know if it was suicide, or if it was a murder..'_

Batman immediately knew what had to be done.. For that, he would need to go to the _scene_ of the crime. The hospital..

Batman out the blanket back over Harold's corpse and exited the same way he came, out of sight..

It didn't take long to reach the hospital, since it was only a couple blocks away from the morgue. Gaining entrance wasn't as complicated, since somebody had left the window open in a few adjacent rooms, supposedly to get some air in them. One of those rooms was the _same_ one where Harold died..

' _Room 511..'_ Batman thought, climbing into the respective window. ' _This was the room where Harold died.. I'll need to scan the area for evidence.'_

Batman switched his vision over to the 'Crime Scene' mode and took a look around the room for anything that might stick out or look suspicious.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw a slight tear in the bedsheet. It was where his right arm _would_ have been..

' _Signs of a struggle?'_ Batman questioned. ' _Or just someone dealing with a lot of self inflicted pain?'_

Batman took a look on the floor, to see if there were any sort of footprints that wasn't supposed to be there.

There were some rough scuffs on the floor right beside his bed, once again on what would've been Harold's _right_ side..

Batman cocked a brow, deciding to scan the footprints. Once the scan went through, what he saw on the DNA analysis _shocked_ him!

' _Gerald Broflovski!?'_ He thought in absolute surprise. ' _What would Gerald be doing here? Perhaps he was his attorney? But why do the footprint scuffs indicate signs of a struggle? What REALLY happened here?'_

Batman took a look at the tear on the bedsheets again.

' _The tear isn't from his bare hands.. And it's too big to have been from a syringe.. But it fits the size PERFECTLY for a butcher knife!'_

Batman narrowed his eyes.

' _What happened that night?.. Why were you REALLY here, Gerald? Could you have been the only other person in the room with him?'_

Batman looked for more sets of unusual footprints, but could detect _none_.. Having anyone else in the room with Harold at the time of his murder _besides_ Gerald was simply not the case..

The footprints were hours old; they had been there since around 9:00 that night, the _same_ time Harold was pronounced dead..

Batman seemed to have had him a suspect. An _unlikely_ suspect, but still a _suspect_! He decided to look for any drops of blood, as the DNA could lead a trail _right_ to the knife!

Batman checked the bedsheets, checked the floor, even the wall.. But there was nothing. The knife must have been for intimidation purposes, to get what he wanted out of Harold.

Batman had gathered enough evidence for one night.. Bebe would probably be wondering where he was, and it would be morning before long. He decided to call it a night, and continue the investigation tomorrow night.

He now had a suspect he could talk to. He would interrogate him, but if he wasn't being cooperative, he would have _no_ choice but to strike some fear into him to get him to crack..

Batman stood on the windowsill and shot his grapnel into a nearby building, taking off _just_ in time, as nearby footsteps were heard. Most likely they were heading into the room to clean up and shut the windows.

' _Tomorrow will be.. most informative.'_ Batman thought.

It was then that he got himself an idea.

' _I can send in the evidence I just found as an anonymous tip to the police. Sure, they'll interrogate Gerald before I do, but he's an attorney.. And a GOOD one at that.. He'll lie his way out of it. I know him. That is, if Gerald is even GUILTY of such a thing in the first place.. But if he is, the police interrogation will CERTAINLY put him on edge.. And later that night, it makes him ALL the more likely to crack.. I'm not the police, and if he doesn't cooperate, he'll REALIZE that..'_

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Jack smiled slightly as he awoke the next morning. Kyle rested beside him, he opened his eyes a bit, and grinned. "Morning, my Kylie..." Jack said softly as he ran his hand through Kyle's red locks.

Kyle grinned back. "Good morning my sunshine."

Jack smiled again. "Want some breakfast? I'm sure Simba would like some French toast."

Kyle chuckled. "That's all he wants for Breakfast now."

Jack nodded. His face fell a bit. "I hope Amelia's okay though..."

Kyle frowned. "Well, she is growing very fast. I mean, we got her a week ago, but she's already walking and talking...The others will probably not even believe us. She's like _six_ biologically."

Jack nodded. "Still, I don't have anything but love for my little girl. I did this calculation, and it said that she'd fully mature in another ten years, and that once she reaches the biological age of six, she'd age fairly naturally. Which, as you said, she seems to be at now."

Kyle cocked a brow. "What kind of calculator told you that?!" He asked.

"The Replicator kind."

Kyle laughed, before he got up and walked out to the living room.

Jack followed soon after, and saw Amelia and Simba watching Spongebob, laughing at one scene in particular in the 'Camping Episode'.

"Dad! Daddy!" Amelia laughed, jumping up and running to Kyle, who smiled as he hugged her. "Good morning Amelia..." He said with a grin as he sat down.

"Morning dad!" Simba said with a smile.

Jack grinned back, and joined his family as they sat down. Rexy walked into the room, and laid down, watching the TV with her masters. She was around six feet long at this point, so still quite small.

"I can't wait to see Uncle Alex and Aunt Cate again!" Amelia laughed.

"They can't believe how big you're getting." Kyle laughed. "You're growing up so fast..."

Amelia's grin grew.

Jack smiled slightly, before the doorbell rang.

He chuckled, and got up.

"That's probably them now."

He headed over to the door, and as expected, it was Alex and Cate.

"Hello, everyone!" Alex said with his usual cheeriness upon meeting his friends.

Amelia waved excitedly. "Hi Uncle Alex! Hi Aunt Cate!"

"Wow, you weren't kidding! Amelia is getting quite big…. _quite_ quickly," Cate commented with a chuckle.

Jack nodded.

They sat down on the couch, before Jack asked Alex. "So, how are things with you guys going?"

"I'd say things are going well, considering the circumstance," Alex declared while looking at Cate with a loving smile.

Kyle chuckled slightly at that, while Amelia leaned against him, laughing at yet another joke in Spongebob.

"It's adorable to see how close you all are. You're making excellent fathers, in my opinion. Despite the... unconventional nature of the family, and what is happening at the moment, that only seems to have brought you closer," Cate commented.

Amelia decided to ask a question. "Daddy?"

Kyle looked down. "Yes sweetheart?"

"How big is Rexy going to get?"

Kyle stopped for a moment.

"Um, really big. But don't worry, she won't hurt-"

"Because in Jurassic Park, I saw a T-rex that looked just like her! Do they _really_ get that big?"

Jack looked at her. "I thought we agreed not to show her that movie yet?" He asked Kyle with a cocked brow.

Kyle bit his lip and said sheepishly. "Sorry..."

"It was so cool dad! The _Velociraptors_ were my favorite!" Amelia declared. "Can I have one?"

"Heh, I was wondering how Amelia would differentiate between you two," Alex chuckled.

"One day, I'm going to show you Star Wars or Avengers!" Simba declared.

"Ooh! That will be so cool!" Amelia agreed.

"I'm not afraid to admit it, but if you don't cry at least once during Infinity War, I would question if you had a soul," Alex jested.

They continued to watch a bit more, before Amelia asked. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we could go to the park?"

Jack looked to the others, and asked. "Anyone object?"

"Yeah, nah, park sounds fun," Alex replied.

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The group set up a picnic blanket, and as they sat down, Alex noticed Jack tense up slightly.

It wasn't anything major, but it was still a bit noticeable. As Cate headed off to get some ice-cream with Amelia, and Kyle and Simba watched Rexy sniff around a tree like a dog, Alex decided to ask his friend what was wrong.

"Are you okay, Jack? You seem… off," he asked.

Jack motioned to his family and Cate. "You can probably guess what's on my mind."

"Zillum?" Alex guessed.

Jack added, "And Cartman. And the war in general. Did you hear all the news about how every nation on Earth seems to be picking a side. China's invading Vietnam and South Korea. Iran and Israel are shooting missiles at each other, and Cartman seems to have supporters in Europe. And to top it off, we have increasing numbers of people with Replicators across the world making their presence known. The new Soviet Union. The Confederacy. Texas. The list goes on. I _hate_ this. I hate the fact that I am raising my son and daughter in this environment, in this hell. And that soon I'm going to have to leave it all up to Kyle while I'm off fighting..."

"But isn't it cool that _we_ started this moment that will surely go down in histo-" Alex stopped when he saw the look Jack gave him.

"Sorry, but at least we'll be on the right side of history," he said.

Jack shook his head. "All I care about is my family at this point… I pray to _god_ that this is all over by Christmas. But I have my doubts..."

"That's what they said about the First World War, and I highly doubt that everyone's going to pause the hostilities to play football… or soccer," Alex said.

"Thank you Aunt Cate!"

They turned to see Amelia and Cate walking back, Amelia holding an icecream cone.

Jack smiled slightly. "I just want to be able to give presents to my daughter on that day without having to worry about the war."

"Speaking of which, when's her birthday?" Alex asked with a chuckle.

"Well, next September, but you know what, we haven't celebrated it yet have we?"

"No…" Alex said.

Jack grinned slightly. "Well, she's old enough. I might do something nice for her, for the whole family even..."

"That would be nice," Alex commented.

Jack looked at Alex again. "Whatever happens, I'll definitely consider her, Simba, and Kyle a blessing...Kyle's the love of my life. Simba's my son, no matter his species and I'll be proud to see him grow up. And Amelia's my little girl."

"You know what I'm surprised about? The fact that Cate and I haven't adopted a child or have had one of our own. I find it quite odd that we're the only childless couple of the group so far," Alex observed.

Jack chuckled. "Your time will come, my friend..."

Jack and Alex began to walk back, deciding to spend what little downtime they'd have for a while with their loved ones.

"Thank you, Aunt Cate." Amelia said as she finished her ice cream.

"You're most welcome, Amelia. I must remark that you have very nice manners," Cate said.

Amelia smiled back happily.

Rexy stopped nearby, and looked out in the direction of a nearby thicket. It resembled the pose of a dog who had just seen or sensed to something nearby.

"What is it girl?" Jack asked.

Rexy looked back at them, before back at the thicket.

"It's not another bird is it?" Alex asked.

Rexy took a step forward, before chuffing at the thicket in a curious, almost concerned manner.

Simba looked up, before he began to trot closer to the bush.

Alex himself decided to follow the two as he edged closer to the bush, unsure why he felt that something was about to happen.

Then, to _everyone's_ surprise, a lion cub walked out of the forest. Simba's eyes widened. "Nala?!"

"S-Simba?!" Nala exclaimed in joyous disbelief as she ran towards her old friend and nuzzled him.

"What...what are you _doing_ here?! Are you okay?!" Simba asked as he nuzzled her back.

"Well… one moment, I was running away from hyenas, I jumped into a cave, I got lost, and when I thought I saw a way back, it turned out to be this place… but more to the point, where are we? And how did you get here?" Nala explained and asked.

Simba tried his best to explain everything that had happened. How he got here, how he was taken in by Jack and Kyle, and...what happened to his father, and who was responsible for it.

"Wow… I… don't know what to say! I'm glad that you were cared for, but it's weird that you now have two dads," Nala chuckled.

Simba chuckled. "Not really in my opinion."

He then asked. "How...how is home?"

Nala sighed sadly. "Ever since Mufasa died, Scar has ruled with ruthless brutality, he's allowed the entire Elephant Graveyard hyena clan to enter the Pride Lands, they steal our food and harass my mom and the others, and he has dissenters punished. After you disappeared, my mom gave birth to my baby brother, Mheetu. But earlier today, I saved him from being hurt by the hyenas, but that meant they chased me, and then I end up here," she explained further.

Simba nodded before smiling slightly. "I'm glad you're okay. I missed you."

"I missed you too. While you were… slightly annoying sometimes, I realised how dearly I missed you," Nala said with a smirk.

Simba laughed. "If Zazu was here, he'd probably go on about...everything..." Simba shrugged. He knew how the hornbill could get.

He then remembered. "Would you like to meet my adopted family?"

"I'd love to! Even though they sound… unconventional, they also sound very nice," Nala said.

Simba grinned as he led Nala up to them.

"Everyone, this is Nala. She's my best friend from home." Simba introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you, Nala." Jack said with a smile.

"Likewise. I've never met a human before, but now I've met… five! And… whatever that… reptile thing is over there," Nala pointed to Rexy, who was now investigating a bag blowing around in the wind.

"That's Rexy." Simba explained. "She doesn't talk much, but she's really smart. She helped a baby bird the other day when it fell out of it's nest or something."

"Nice! I've never seen such a creature before," Nala said.

"Well, her kind is technically extinct, and only exists because of the Replicator," Alex added.

"The… what-icator?" Nala questioned with a cocked brow.

Jack did his best to explain what it did. Simba helped in any way he could.

"This spoon, which is what humans use to consume certain foods, was made by the Replicator. However, this isn't any old spoon. Behold the mighty Mjolnir!" Alex proclaimed as he thrust the spoon in the air, and in a flash, it turned into Mjolnir.

"Wow! What does it do?" Nala asked.

"It's more of a weapon of war. I can channel the power of lightning through this hammer, and can use it to kill our enemies," Alex explained.

"Interesting…" Nala muttered, wondering if it was dangerous or volatile, considering it was described as a weapon of war.

Jack then asked. "Are you hungry at all Nala?"

"A little, yes. What little food is spared for the pride, it is not enough to sustain us for the whole day. I haven't had a full stomach in weeks because of those foul hyenas," Nala said.

Jack nodded. "Would you like anything to eat?"

"I don't suppose you have any zebra meat, do you?" Nala asked, not expecting a positive answer, considering the temperate environment in which they were.

Jack grinned. "As a matter of fact, with the replicator, we could make you some."

"Wow! That is cool! You don't even have to hunt for your food?" she asked.

"No, and I've even developed a taste for human food," Simba commented.

Jack entered in the data for the Replicator, and soon after, a piece of Zebra meat was ready.

"Ooh, that looks so delicious!" Nala exclaimed as she instantaneously began to hungrily gnaw into the meat.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Jack," Nala said when she swallowed her first mouthful of meat. She gave him a smile that was now stained with blood.

Jack smiled back. "No problem."

"Mind if I join you?" Simba asked, wondering if zebra tasted as good as he remembered. He hadn't really had any since the night of his arrival.

"Sure," Nala said with a smile, and allowed for Simba to bite into the meat. His response to the taste was,

"Mmmm, delicious."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Kyle scolded, earning a look from the others.

"Oops, sorry," Simba apologised, before his eyes widened and he covered his mouth in realisation that he had done it again!

"Kyle is such a 'mom'," Alex whispered with a snicker. This, however, earned him an elbow by Cate. "Ow! I'm joking."

Kyle grinned at Cate. "Thanks for that. Those jokes are getting old."

"Old but gold?" Alex tried, but retracted this when he saw Cate's glare. "Okay, I won't do it again," he rolled his eyes.

As the cubs finished the zebra meat, Jack sent a knowing grin to Alex.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Oh nothing..." Jack shrugged.

"Oh, just a random grin, eh?" Alex chuckled.

Jack shook his head. "Not my problem if you can't remember our previous conversation..."

"Wait… you're thinking that I… oh, okay," Alex smiled and then turned to Cate.

"Cate, how would you feel if…" he began before he whispered in her ear.

"Wha- really? You think we should do that?" Cate asked.

"Well, maybe not right away, but it would sort of complete the group of parents," Alex said.

"Okay. We'll give it a shot, and if it works, it works," Cate accepted. Alex grinned, kissed her and then walked over to Nala.

"Did you enjoy your zebra?" he asked as he got down on his knees to match his line of sight with Nala's.

"Yes, thank you," the lioness cub replied.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like a place to stay for the night," Alex said.

"Oh? Do you have a place of your own?" Nala questioned.

"Well, it's my parents' house, but with what's been going on lately, they just accept all the weirdness that has happened," Alex said. "So, would you like to stay with me and Cate?" he added.

"I would like to, but…" Nala wanted to say something, but wasn't sure if she believed it herself, so she settled for what she said next.

"Would it be too much to ask for Simba to sleep over? It's just… I haven't seen him for so long, and… I just want to catch up with him, is all," she said.

"That is absolutely fine with us." Kyle declared.

"We have no problem with that, either. Besides, our home is looking a little under-habitated compared to our friends' homes," Alex chuckled.

Jack nodded. "Everything does seem to happen at my place..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack walked downstairs. He had just put Amelia and Simba to bed.

He was doing one last check to make sure all the windows and doors were locked, before his eyes widened. He sensed that _same_ presence. The presence of his old enemy. Looking out the window, he saw Cartman approaching.

Jack narrowed his eyes. His anger was far stronger now. Because his _children_ were in danger. His entire _family_ in danger.

He walked to the entrance to the backyard, and stepped out, looking Cartman in the eyes. "Satisfied now? With all the death and destruction you've caused?" He asked viciously.

Cartman grinned evilly.

"Pretty satisfied, yes.." He answered simply. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Jack was about to reply, before a voice asked. "Dad? What's going on?"

Jack's eyes widened, and he could just imagine Amelia in the doorway behind him.

"Well, well.." Cartman began, stepping a bit closer. "What do we have here?.." He looked up at Jack, the same wicked look on his face. "You have a _daughter_ now, Jack? I _know_ you and the Jew didn't _fuck_ to make her yourselves.."

Jack didn't answer Cartman's question, he said simply. "Amelia, get the others, and _run_." He ordered.

However, he didn't hear Amelia do so, instead, he could sense her growing fear. He risked a glance back, and ordered. "Now!"

Jack widened his eyes when he heard the sound of a lightsaber being activated.

"I love a good chase.." Cartman said, leaping forward towards Jack and their doorway.

Jack blocked the incoming strike, and shoved back aggressively. He held his lightsaber at the ready, but was completely silent.

Amelia had rushed to get Kyle and Rexy, and Jack could hear them rush past the doorway. Cartman's grin only widened at that.

He sent a wave of force lightning in their direction, in the hopes that one of them would end up hurt. All three were hit almost instantly. They fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

The screams of his family sent Jack into a rage, and he sent a series of _vicious_ strikes in Cartman's direction. Even Cartman seemed stunned as he struggled to block Jack's offensive.

Jack's eyes burned a bright yellow, and he readied himself for whatever would come next. Kyle had gotten up, but couldn't rise to his feet. He fell back to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Aww.. Was I too _rough_ on you, you weak little _Jew_? You're a _pathetic_ waste of life, and my time! Seeing you suffer brings me _great_ pleasure!" Cartman ridiculed.

Jack sent his own torrent of force lightning in Cartman's direction, but instead of blocking it with his lightsaber, he fired his own. The two bolts collided soon after.

Jack felt himself being pushed back a bit by the force of the collision, but kept up his barrage, and the point the two torrents collided was a pulsating ball of fire, sending sparks everywhere, and shifting ever so slightly back and forth, but it seemed the two were evenly matched…

Cartman chuckled.

"It's funny how you think you can actually _beat_ me!" He taunted Jack. "You got _lucky_ last time! Your ninja _boyfriend_ had to save you! You were at my _mercy_! This time will be no different.. _This time_ , there will _be_ no one to save you!"

Jack's response was to increase the force lightning, and he slowly began to push Cartman's lightning back. However, he _never_ expected what came next.

What looked like some sort of _trip_ wire was launched at Jack's ankle, causing him to go off balance slightly. The other end of the wire attached itself to a nearby metal pole, pulling Jack up into the air, hanging him upside down.

Jack widened his eyes when he saw a ninja-like man unsheathe a sword and walk towards him calmly, yet menacingly. It was as if he was going in for the kill.

Then, a _third_ lightsaber's activation sound was heard. Jack turned to see Vader step into view.

"This ends now..." The Sith Lord said calmly.

The ninja man looked at Vader in silence, beginning to circle him. His mask was black on one half of his mask, and orange on the other. A machine gun belt ran across his chest, starting from his left shoulder, down to his right hip.

A metal staff hung on his back, just in case he needed to use that as a backup weapon in any way. He also had a hidden combat knife hidden away, some smoke grenades, as well as some regular grenades.

He was _Deathstroke_! A mercenary for hire.. A metahuman _super_ soldier in an experiment gone wrong..

"You're correct, Dark one.." Deathstroke calmly told Vader. "This _does_ end now.."

Vader looked to Cartman, and then to Deathstroke. He raised his lightsaber, ready to fight. "So many weapons, yet you need only _one_." Vader growled.

Deathstroke continued to circle Vader, replying,

"You masquerade as a swordsman, yet you contain such powers as lightning and bending matter with your mind.." He looked up a Vader, spinning his sword. "Just think of my 'extra' weapons as.. _evening_ the playing field.."

Vader sighed. "Whatever will make your final moments more comforting."

He then swung a heavy slash at the super-soldier. His fighting style was very different from Jack's. It was one of sheer, brute _power_ , not a mixture of fast and strong attacks.

Deathstroke dodged with relative ease, using his agility and speed to his advantage. Vader took another huge swing at his head, Deathstroke narrowly bending his head back and avoiding it.

"Impressive swordsmanship, 'Sith Lord'.." Deathstroke half-mocked. "But you haven't dealt with an opponent of my caliber.."

Deathstroke swung his sword at Vader, which he blocked with his lightsaber. Deathstroke swung it a couple more times, the first one getting blocked, while the second one simply hit pure air.

Their swords locked, and the metal sparked as it clashed with plasma, but it held up.

Jack had finally gotten free, and as he fell to the ground, he activated his own lightsaber to face Cartman again.

Vader noticed this and fell back a bit, with him and Jack standing on one side, and Cartman and Deathstroke on the other.

"I see you've met my _friend_ , Deathstroke-" Cartman began, motioning to him, before Deathstroke cut him off,

"I am no _friend_ of yours, fat boy.. I only seek the payment for Anderson's death.."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Throwing your lot in with a nazi war criminal?" He snarled. "For money?"

"For the right price.." Deathstroke began, swinging his sword, preparing himself. "I'll take _anyone_ out.."

Vader sighed. "The price you're going to pay is simple, mercenary." He sent a force push in Deathstroke's direction, before Jack leapt at Cartman.

Cartman and Jack clashed lightsabers, as Deathstroke and Vader clashed blades of their own.

The night was illuminated by the clashing lightsabers and clang of swords as the four opponents fought on. However, everything stopped when Jack was sent flying as Cartman nicked his arm, and then sent him into the wall with enough force to cause the house to collapse.

Vader blocked another swipe, before he swung his lightsaber in an attempt to decapitate Deathstroke.

The fight dragged on as the four combatants continued to duel.

Deathstroke eyed Vader in silence, sword still at the ready, looking up and down the entirety of his figure. It was as if he was _plotting_ something..

"For a supposedly menacing Dark Lord, you sure do _breathe_ heavy.." Deathstroke pointed out.

Vader's response was simple. He backed up a bit, holding his lightsaber defensively, but not noticing he had left the smallest gap in his defenses. Deathstroke, however, did notice this.

Out of nowhere, at an alarming speed that tool even _Vader_ by surprise, Deathstroke pulled out a flash grenade and tossed it in his direction. The grenade detonated, temporarily blinding the Sith Lord. He swung his lightsaber in Deathstroke's direction in the chance that he was charging in for an attack.

Unfortunately for Vader, however, it would be the opposite. Deathstroke pulled out not one, but _two_ 9mm handguns. Utilizing his razor sharp vision, and focusing on his _very_ specific target, Deathstroke quickly fired off around 6 rounds, making _perfectly_ sure his mark would be it.

And indeed it was..

Vader immediately began to gasp for air and instinctively put his hands on his neck. Deathstroke had _destroyed_ his respirator! The very thing that kept him _breathing_! No one had _ever_ targeted such a thing before.. At least not so _quickly_ and on the spot! This took Vader by _complete_ surprise!

Vader stumbled back, and had to focus all his energy on breathing through the force, _severely_ impairing his ability to fight.

"What's wrong, Vader?.." Deathstroke taunted in that same cold, serious voice, holding his sword back up in a fighting stance again. "You look a little.. _winded_.."

Vader turned to Deathstroke, and didn't reply, he simply held his own weapon at the ready.

Cartman and Jack continued to fight, not paying attention, too invested in their own battle.

Cartman took a few _deep_ breaths, growing tired from the battle.

"Y- You _know_ you can't _win_ , Jack!" Cartman yelled out. "You'll have to surrender _eventually_! Your _spineless_ Jew boyfriend _surely_ won't let this continue much longer!"

Jack spat back. "You talk too much."

He then sent a series of _vicious_ lightsaber strikes in Cartman's direction, with the Nazi barely able to block them.

"Ugh!" Cartman yelled out as he took a big swing of his own. It was easily blocked by Jack.

Afterwards, Cartman took _another_ swing! _This_ time, he put everything he _had_ into it! His eyes glowed an ominous yellow.

"AGHH!" Cartman screamed as he swung the lightsaber with all his might.

 _This_ time, however, the lightsaber went _straight_ through Jack's guard.. It connected _squarely_ with his side, slicing into his flank and causing him to collapse to the ground in agony.

Cartman approached Jack and put his foot on his chest. He smirked evilly, looking down at a _severely_ wounded and seemingly defeated Jack.

"Now _this_ seems familiar.. _doesn't_ it?" Cartman remarked, referring to when Jack had him in this _same_ position in the school when he had attacked Kyle.

Jack looked up at Cartman, anger and uncertainty evident all over his face. Not to mention absolute burning _pain_!

"I'm gonna _love_ watching you scream.." Cartman whispered coldly, almost appearing to _enjoy_ Jack's upcoming agony. "Though.. Maybe if you _beg_ , I _might_ leave enough life in you to say some final words to your Jew lover!"

Jack risked a glance, and saw Kyle and his family had managed to escape.

He looked at Cartman, and responded calmly. "No need. They're far from you. So kill me if you must, but you won't win. You will fall one day, even if I'm not the one who does it...So see ya around fatass!"

Cartman could only scowl, a bloodthirsty demeanor coating his face.

"You _really_ believe that, don't you?.." Cartman asked. "That they're ' _safe_ '.. Well.. I will make it my life's _mission_ , to _track_ them down, so that I can hear them scream and _writhe_ in agony as they literally _burn_! They'll have to think of how you _failed_ them! How you couldn't _kill_ me like you promised them you could! They'll have to suffer an _agonizing_ death, knowing that their protector.. Their ' _savior'_.. The one they _look up_ to the most.. let them _all_ down.."

Jack scowled a bit, before he sensed something coming. He grinned.

Cartman cocked a brow, looking around him to make sure no one else was around. He looked over where Deathstroke was, and saw that Vader was lying on the ground.. seemingly defeated.

They had _won_.. But why did something not _feel_ right?.. Even _Deathstroke_ began to sense something amiss!

Out of nowhere, a small boomerang-like object flew at an alarming speed into the side of Cartman's head.

"Ah!" Cartman yelped, being knocked off of Jack and to the ground.

The object in question was referred to as a 'Batarang'.. And who _else_ could have a weapon of that name?

 _Batman_!

Batman glided off a nearby roof and kicked Cartman in the head, just as he was beginning to get up. Batman stood in a defensive fighting stance, getting in front of Jack so that Cartman nor Deathstroke could get to him.

Jack looked up in utter shock, looking into the almost _demonic_ looking bat creature's _red_ eyes.. Was...was this...

Deathstroke held his sword up at the ready, feeling just as fresh as he did before he fought Vader!

Batman's once red gem in the center of his batsuit's chest, now shined a dark shade of orange. The darkness tended to change the color of it, depending on what climate he was currently in.

Vader pulled himself up, and hobbled over to Jack to help his comrade escape. As the two limped away, Vader sent one last look in Batman's direction. He...couldn't believe this. Whoever this being was...he had saved them, and he seemed to be holding his own. Had he been in better shape, he would have called it 'most impressive'.

"Think you can kick my ass, _freak_!?" Cartman screamed at Batman, his lightsaber in hand. His voice contained a tiny bit of nervousness, since he had a _strange_ feeling that this was the _same_ man who had impaled him last time! The _same_ vigilante!

"Come on!" Cartman taunted. "Come _on_!"

Batman only stood there, not moving whatsoever.

"Gladly.." Batman uttered in his deep, _chilling_ voice. Cartman rose a brow, wondering what he was up to. His words didn't _match_ his movements! Even _still_ , he hadn't moved a muscle!

It was then that Cartman realized Batman had his left hand behind his back, as if he was holding something.

"Aw _fuc_ -" Cartman began as a few loud explosions were heard nearby him. They came from a large tree, an old pole, and a nearby brick wall.

The debris came _crashing_ down onto Cartman, crushing him where he stood.

Cartman was now trapped underneath rubble, wheezing heavily. It wasn't anything fatal; just enough to trap him for a long while.

Batman widened his eyes when he heard the cocking of some sort of nearby device.

He dived out of the way _just_ in time to avoid the same tripwire that Jack had been caught in earlier. It was fired from a device Deathstroke had called a 'Remote Claw'.

Batman regained his footing and stood to his feet, looking menacingly over at the mercenary.

Deathstroke matched his glare, pulling out the large metal staff, ready to strike with it if necessary.

"So what _are_ you exactly, _freak_?" Deathstroke questioned. "Halloween isn't for another few _days_.. Rising to the occasion?"

Batman and Deathstroke continued to circle each other, sizing each other up like two vicious lions.

"This ends _now_ , Slade!" Batman demanded, uttering Deathstroke's actual first name.

"Ah.. So you _know_ who I am.." Slade said. "Then I suppose you _also_ know how dangerous it is to stand in my _way_?.."

Batman clenched his fists, getting into a fighting stance.

"A danger I'm _willing_ to risk!" Batman shot back.

Slade chuckled, readying his metal staff.

"I admire your guts.. It takes a _lot_ to speak so confidently in the brink of defeat." Deathstroke swung his staff a couple times, taking some 'practice swings'. "But your supposed 'bravery' will be your _downfall_!"

Just like that, the fight was on!

Slade swung his staff at Batman's head, which he leaned back and ducked under. Slade tried the same thing again, this time from the other side, only for Batman to _once_ again duck under it..

Batman sent a punch into Slade's jaw, which only fueled the mercenary's anger.

Slade swung the staff as a counter, hitting Batman in the head with it. Immediately after, he held the staff overhead and swung down with all his might.

Batman just barely managed to evade the devastating blow, and rolled out of the way.

Just like that, they were back to square one..

Slade readied yet another swing, but once it went through, Batman dodged out of the way once again, _this_ time getting a solid grip on the staff and kicking Slade in the gut, managing to snatch the staff from him.

Batman brought the staff down onto his knee, breaking it in half.

" _Give_ it up, Slade! I'm _bringing_ you in! Your hit on Jack is _over_!" Batman yelled in his deep voice.

Deathstroke pulled out his sword, readying himself.

"You fight _well_ , 'Batman'.." Deathstroke respectfully told him, calling him by his vigilante name. "But I'm just getting _started_! I was only toying with you that time. _Prepare_ yourself to feel the burning sting of _death_! Who knows, maybe the obese Nazi will pay me _double_ for your murder!"

Nothing more was said, as Deathstroke swung his sword at Batman multiple times. Batman managed to parry most of them, but a _couple_ got through, hitting him in the forearms.

Batman sent a kick into Slade's head, before he realized another sword strike was already being sent his way! This strike connected _squarely_ on the side of his cowl, causing him to shoot back and wince in pain.

With Batman on the ropes, Slade sent a few _more_ sword slashes into Batman, _this_ time on his midsection.

Batman tried pulling out a Batarang and tossing it at Slade in an effort to stun him, but it was easily dodged.

Batman tried to send a right hook into Slade's head, but the pain of his wounds was enough to slow the punch down.

Deathstroke grabbed ahold of Batman's right arm, countering the hook, and Judo tossed him over his shoulders and hard onto the ground.

Batman now laid on his back, a sword's blade at his neck. Any sudden movements and he would be _dead_..

"You are quite skilled, and are an honorable opponent.." Deathstroke pointed out. "But none of that will _matter_ when I showcase your dead body to Cartman.. From what I _gathered_ , you've been a thorn in his side for _quite_ awhile now.. You two have some sort of a _history_ , whether it was a long or short one.."

Deathstroke put pressure on Batman's neck, the blade beginning to pierce through the batsuit.

"I imagine the bonus I make killing _you_ will hold me over until I have Anderson's head.." Deathstroke added.

Batman gritted his teeth, feeling the sharpness of the blade getting ever deeper into his skin. He had to act _fast_! He needed a distraction, and _now_!

He had a plan, and it was built into his utility belt for _just_ a scenario such as this, but there was still a chance that this wouldn't work. He could only hope it did.

Batman reached for his utility belt _very_ carefully and pressed a button that was on it.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

A continuous _beeping_ sound came from his utility belt, which caused Deathstroke to look down in slight confusion.

That was the opportunity Batman had waited for!

Batman quickly grabbed the blade with his hands, forcing Deathstroke's grip off of it due to the surprise. He tossed the sword aside and sent an upwards kick into Slade's gut. Slade backed up slightly at the force of the kick, which gave Batman _just_ enough time to pull himself back up to a pained standing.

Before Slade could recover and try a different move, Batman tossed some smoke pellets on the ground, blanketing the _immediate_ surrounding area in smoke. This was for Batman to mask his location so that no one could see him make an attack, or in this case, escape!

Batman shot his grapnel into a nearby building, gliding away as quickly as he could _just_ in time before Deathstroke pulled out another sword to kill him with.

As the smoke cleared up, Deathstroke saw that Batman had _disappeared_ into the night, now nowhere to be seen.

He glanced over where he knew Vader was laying, only to see that there was _no one_ there anymore.. He looked now where _Jack_ would've been, only to see no one there either.

What he _did_ see, however, was Cartman trapped underneath some rubble, wheezing profusely.

Deathstroke sheathed his sword, walking over help Cartman out of the rubble. Normally he wouldn't care what happened to him, but Cartman was the source of his _pay_ for these hits!

So long as his contract was still active, he needed Cartman.. And Cartman needed him..


	10. Chapter 9, Turning the Tide

Jack grimaced as the replicated healing agent patched up his injuries. He was surprised when the door opened, and not just Kyle and Amelia, but Drew, Bebe, Nzuri, Adia, Simba, Nala, Alex, and Cate.

"Dad! Are you okay?" Simba asked.

Jack nodded as he picked up the cub. "It will take more than Cartman to take down your old man..."

Kyle frowned slightly, and looked down, not saying anything.

"We're _so_ glad you're okay, Jack." Bebe said. "What happened? I just got the news not even a couple hours ago.."

Jack sighed. "Cartman, and a new friend of his attacked us… If it wasn't for Vader and...the Batman, I wouldn't be here...You should have seen him, he was quite the badass..."

Everyone cocked a brow, some even snickering.

"A.. 'Batman'?" Bebe asked aloud. "Like, he's half bat, half man? Or does he dress like one? Either possibility wouldn't surprise me, these days.."

Jack sighed. "He was this guy dressed as a bat. With a cape and a mask and everything. He actually beat Cartman like it was nothing. Those Cartman's friend...that seemed to be a bit tougher...I will say, I wouldn't want to cross this 'Batman'..."

"Sure seems that way.." Drew said with his arms crossed. "He sure seems strange though.. Dressing like a bat? I mean, why bats?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you. Tony insisted that he show me his gift for me," Alex commented. "It's quite useful in combat situations such as this one," he added.

Jack sighed. "I don't quite know why...but regardless, I do owe him for rescuing us..."

Bebe was about to reply, before she noticed Kyle was looking down somberly.

"What's wrong, Kyle?.." She questioned, though she knew _full_ well what it was probably about.

"Why am I so fucking useless?" Kyle muttered.

Jack's eyes widened in shock at what Kyle had just said. How...how could he think that?!

He looked at Kyle, who avoided his gaze.

"Why...what could make you think that?" Jack asked.

Kyle shook his head. "I can't _do_ anything. I can't even protect my own children when they need me. I can't even help _you_. Why am I so weak?! Why am I so _useless_?!"

Jack stood up, and grabbed Kyle's hands, and looked him in the eye.

"Kyle," he said softly. "You're _not_ useless! I don't blame anyone but _Cartman_ for this. This is not your fault. I am just glad you and the kids are alright. I am _glad_ you got them out of there. That was more important to me than anything else, to see you and them alright."

Kyle looked away, still not convinced. "What kind of parent or future husband am I if I can't even help though?"

Jack sighed. "Kyle, look at me."

Kyle hesitantly looked at him.

"All I care about is that you and them are alive. I can _teach_ you to fight, but I _won't_ let you get hurt. Promise me that if I, or even Alex teaches you to fight, _promise_ me that you won't get yourself hurt. Because I would _die_ without you..."

Kyle looked at him for a second, before Jack pulled him into a hug.

The others watched them with utmost pity.. They felt _bad_ for how Kyle was feeling, especially Bebe, who had known him since they were kids.

He had always felt weak ever since.. that fateful night, and it's _always_ showed.. She figured it must weigh down on your will and _spirits_ after all those years..

Kyle finally asked. "Could you teach me?"

Jack looked at him, and nodded. "Yes. But Kyle, _promise_ me you won't get yourself hurt."

Everyone present noticed the fear in Jack's voice. He seemed sincere in that he would teach Kyle, but the sense of uncertainty in his voice was _unmistakable_.

Kyle nodded. "I promise. You won't lose me."

"Fighting is a delicate, yet honorable art.." Drew whispered, catching everyone's attention. Drew sighed, and then added, "I may not be what I once was as far as being a master of fighting.. But what I _still_ possess is the discipline it took for me to learn it over the years! Because Kyle.. It _does_ require discipline, patience, and _time_.. Lots of it.. If you get frustrated,"

Drew then grinned and finished,

" _Don't_ give up.. I _believe_ in you.. I wasn't so strong when _I_ first began either.. But all it takes is _dedication_ and the will to help others."

Kyle's eyes widened a bit, and he grinned. "Thanks Drew! I promise I won't give up!" He said, seemingly a lot more happy then he once was. It seemed he was ecstatic about somebody actually believing in him when it came to this kind of thing. Even _Jack_ sometimes...treated him like he was made of glass. He was _ecstatic_ that somebody was taking him seriously.

Drew grinned.

"Then you're already halfway there.." He said.

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General Grant motioned to the map. "Gentlemen, this is the current situation in the world."

"Well, it doesn't surprise me that the Texans declared independence," Alex said.

"'True United States'" Steve Rogers scoffed when he saw the designated region to the northwest coast and Alaska. "They weren't even a part of the United States until 1959," he added.

"Indeed," General Rommel spoke up. "We have three major coalitions, three independent powers, and countless smaller conflicts around the world… We have to decide on our course of action."

"Perhaps we isolate the Russians and Chinese?" Thrawn suggested. He proceeded to explain his strategy. They would isolate the major opponents, the Russians, Chinese and Cartman himself, while moving against enemy allies. They would slowly tie a noose around their enemies, blockading, sieging, and invading over time, before making the final _coup de grace_ in February of 2019.

"I'm not a tactical genius, so I'm just going to say that sounds… good," Alex admitted.

"It will require time to mount a successful invasion of Russia and China, especially considering the season...However, it can be done." Thrawn replied.

"Yeah, Russian winters are notoriously harsh. A common storm to their standards brought the UK to a standstill earlier this year. It also meant… I couldn't go to Disneyland Paris," Alex looked down.

Lee looked over the map, before adding. "We should make our move against Cartman as soon as possible. While I agree that such a strategy would be effective against our other opponents, every moment we don't use to defeat him is a moment he gets stronger."

Jack cocked a brow. "I agree. We need to move, and fast. This was has escalated enough already."

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Gerald was _pissed_! That idiot was always a weakling! Why did his associates ever want to involve the bastard in their business enterprise?

Gerald looked in a nearby doorway. It was _dark_..

He was currently in the hallway, walking towards his room to go to bed so he could get the anger off his mind! Sheila was _already_ acting like a _bitch_! Ever since _Kyle_ left the house...

But now, here he was.. Frozen in the middle of the hallway, staring into the pitch black darkness of the room in front of him.

Gerald began to break out in a sweat, and instinctively took a few steps backwards, away from the door.

That is.. until he _bumped_ into something..

Gerald gasped and turned his head to look over his shoulder. Just as he did, he saw what looked like a… _demonic_ bat thing! With _terrifying_ red slanted eyes! The Bat stood a good 5 inches taller than him.

Gerald was about to run and scream for Sheila's attention, but Batman put his hand over Gerald's mouth and roughly grabbed ahold of him.

" _Quiet_.." Batman demanded.

Acting out of instinct and fear, Gerald pulled out some mace that he kept in his pocket, and sprayed it into the red eyes on Batman's cowl.

However, his heart _sank_ and his face went pale when he saw that Batman wasn't affected at all..

Batman grabbed him by the shirt with one hand, and covering his mouth with the other, before saying,

"We need to _talk_.."

Before Gerald could even speak, he was being dragged with trivial _ease_ to inside an abandoned, _dark_ room!

 _Kyle's_ old room..

Gerald now saw that the window was open, revealing the big drop towards the ground in plain view. Gerald's eyes _widened_ when he saw Batman lock and barricade the door with Kyle's old desk!

"What...what the hell do you want?" Gerald asked, trying to mask his fear.

Batman grabbed Gerald by the shirt, and yelled,

" _I'll_ ask the questions!" There was a brief pause. "Why did you kill Harold Baker!?"

Gerald's eyes widened. What...what was...he getting at…

Did he _really_ know?! Or at least have a vague idea?

"I didn't kill that guy! Ask my wife, she'll say I was here when he died!"

Batman slammed Gerald against the edge of the window, pushing him closer towards the outside, closer to a large plummet..

" _Don't_ lie to me.." Batman coldly warned. "I don't _like_ being lied to.."

"I am not lying." Gerald growled back. "What do you think I did, hmm? Why would I risk my career, my home, my family to kill a lowlife like him?"

Rather than resorting to pure physical intimidation, Batman now switched it up to cold, hard _evidence_ instead..

"I don't know, _Attorney_ Broflovski.." Batman said, pulling out a physical document he had printed out. "You tell _me_.."

The document showed _all_ the evidence Batman had collected from the hospital room! The footprints, the knife tear, the _blood_ DNA sample! Everything! The footprints were an _exact_ match to Gerald's..

For a split second, the attorney looked at him blankly, before he began to chuckle.

Batman gritted his teeth, though it was concealed under his cowl.

"My _patience_ is wearing _thin_!" Batman said.

"So...you finally figured me out, huh?" Gerald asked coldly. "And I thought we had covered our tracks..."

Batman narrowed his eyes.

"' _We'_?" Batman asked. "As in more than _one_?"

"I would recommend asking Mr. Garrison and Slave about this. I'm _sure_ they'd _love_ to answer your questions."

Gerald narrowed his eyes. "Does that little whore know?"

Batman growled angrily and pushed Gerald out of the window. He had set it up earlier to where the drop would severely injure him, but not _kill_ him..

 _BAM!_

He needed this to get the _hard to crack_ ones to squeal.

Batman glided down from the window, and to the ground, to a groaning Gerald..

"You don't scare me, freak!" He snarled.

"No.. I may _not_.." Batman began, before he typed in something on a few buttons, as if confirming and sending something. "But I know someone who _will_.. Once he gets _through_ with you.."

Gerald's eyes widened a bit, before he asked. "Kyle's boyfriend?"

"What proves that I raped Kyle!?" Gerald yelled louder as Batman began to walk away.

Batman stopped in his tracks.

' _He did WHAT!?'_ Batman angrily thought to himself. If he didn't have the discipline and self control he did.. He might've just snapped his neck then and there!

But _he_ deserved to, more..

Gerald looked at him. "Yeah, that's right! It was us! We taught that weakling a lesson! He's a whore, and a faggot who _deserved_ what he got! He's probably bent over for Jack right now!"

"Have a good _night_.. Mr. Broflovski.." Batman said, ignoring Gerald's remark. "Better hope you choke on your own _blood_ before he gets here.."

Batman pressed another button, before appearing to send something else.

"Oh, and a piece of advice?.." Batman said to Gerald.

Gerald cocked a brow, awaiting the Batman's response.

"You should've plead the _fifth_.." Batman coldly said. "I recorded this _entire_ conversation! You self incriminated _yourself_.. Or in _this_ case, signed your own _death_ warrant! Some attorney _you_ are.."

"Fuck. You." Gerald spat.

Batman said nothing more, before he pulled out his grapnel and glided away into the night.. Leaving a now crippled Gerald with his thoughts..

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Stan was surprised to hear his phone ring. It was Jack by the looks of it.

"Jack, what is it?" Stan asked.

"Meet me by the school." Was all Jack said, and the call ended like that.

When he got there, he saw Kenny waiting.

Kenny seemed to not know what was going on, and when he saw Stan walking up, asked him,

"What's going on?"

Stan shrugged, just as confused.

"I don't _know_ , dude.. It's like.. _midnight_. Must be important."

They saw Jack's car pull up, and he stalked out with a _murderous_ expression on his face. His eyes burned yellow with sheer, unbridled _rage_.

"Oh fuck, we're gonna die, aren't we?.." Stan muttered.

Kenny shrugged and replied,

"Wouldn't be the first time.."

Jack stopped, and held up his phone, and a conversation played out. By its end, they _knew_ what had Jack _this_ pissed off. Then they saw Kyle in the car, his hands in his hair, looking just like he had that night...

"I'm gonna kick his as- No, kill him. I'm gonna _kill him_!" Kenny yelled in boiling rage.

"Let's go to that fucker's _house_!" Stan said, just as pissed and riled up. "That _bitch_ better hope that _Bat_ killed him!"

Jack nodded. He said nothing. He didn't need to.

When they got there, they saw Gerald lying on the ground, clearly in pain, before he noticed the three of them approaching.

Gerald gave a friendly smile.

"Oh, h- _hey_ , boys! Oh thank _goodness_ you're here! See, I accidentally fell out of this _window_ and-" Gerald tried to lie, in case Batman was bluffing.

Jack cut him off. "Why?!" He demanded as he used the Force to lift Gerald up. "Why?! Answer me you fucking piece of shit!"

As Gerald struggled for breath, he continued to try and lie his way out of it,

"J- Jack.. What.. d- do you _mean_!?.."

Jack released the pressure, and pulled him closer. "I am in _no_ mood for games." He snapped. "Tell us! And you will die quickly!"

Gerald's demeanor changed just like that. It turned to that of a _monster_!

"Yeah!? Okay, I'll admit it! We _raped_ him! And y'know _what_!? It felt _good_! It was a high we had _never_ experienced before!" Gerald chuckled wickedly and leaned forward as far as his wounded body would allow. "Y'know.. My _favorite_ part was the constant _screaming_.."

Just like that, he was thrown to the ground, and his skin _burned_ as Jack sent a wave of force lightning into him. It stopped quickly, before Jack walked forward.

Stan and Kenny followed suit, walking past Jack. Stan gave Jack a glance that told him that _they_ wanted a turn..

Jack nodded simply, before his lip curled into a sadistic smile.

Gerald forced another chuckle as he groaned with _intense_ pain! He knew he was about to die.. But that _didn't_ mean he couldn't piss them off the best he could before that happened..

"Stan and _Kenny_.." Gerald said in a mocking tone. "I always _did_ hate you fuckers! How's life, Stan?" Gerald evilly smirked. "How's life, _knowing_ that, that _whore_ Wendy has fucked every guy in _town_ except for _you_!?"

Stan gritted his teeth in seething _rage_ , a vein showing on the side of his head.

"AGHH!" Stan began as he began to _rain_ punches down into Gerald's face. It continued for a solid few minutes before Kenny pulled him off.

Stan's hands were most likely broken by now.. But the adrenaline kept him from realizing that right now.

Gerald's face was almost _unrecognizable_! His face was _covered_ in blood, his nose was _shattered_ , and yet, he _still_ continued to breathe!

Kenny took his turn, doing the _exact_ same thing Stan did! Except instead of doing it to the point of breaking his hands, Kenny stood to his feet and brought his foot down onto Gerald's nuts, _crushing_ them!

"AHHH!" Gerald finally screamed in pain, beginning to vomit.

Kenny spat on Gerald and yelled,

"Rape someone _now_ , you piece of _shit_!"

With that, Stan and Kenny walked back towards Jack, standing beside him and waiting what he would do next.

Jack stepped forward, sending a torrent of lightning into Gerald's body. " _You_ hurt him. You have _no_ idea the pain you've caused him!"

Gerald forced another chuckle, though there was _tears_ in his eyes this time. Not from regret, but from the _pain_ he was enduring.

"Oh.." Gerald began, hacking his lungs out before continuing. "I know _exactly_.. what I've caused him! He was a _pussy_! He needed to toughen up! Unfortunately my plan _failed_.. He wouldn't even fight _back_! So it _happened_ , regardless!"

Gerald looked over towards the car, to see Kyle in the front seat.

"And _speak_ of the devil, there's that weak _pussy_ , right now! He's sitting there _crying_ like a little bitch.. when he _should_ be out here kicking my ass! Stabbing me with a knife! Shooting me with a _gun_! _Anything_ but crying like a _BITCH_!" He shouted that last part.

Jack unleashed a second torrent of lightning. He then looked Gerald in the eye. "He's stronger than a monster like you could ever be." He snarled.

Gerald laughed right in his face.

"D- Don't give m- me that _shit_!.." Gerald tried to yell, but he was beginning to stutter. The shock in his body was beginning to take over, and he was succumbing to death.. It would be a matter of seconds.. _Minutes_ at most.. "That's t- t- the _faggot_ bullshit that's _made_ Kyle into an even _bigger_ pussy than he was back _then_! He's not ' _stronger'_! If he was _stronger_ , he would've been out here and thrown at least a _punch_ at me or _something_!"

There was brief silence.

"Yeah.. I sh- shouldn't be _surprised_! He wouldn't have the _g- guts_ to look his attackers in the eye! It would be t- too ' _haunting'_ for him.."

Jack looked at him, before he looked to Kyle. He was looking away in absolute pain and trauma.

He turned to Gerald, and activated his lightsaber.

"W- Well then.." Gerald wheezed, laying his head back on the ground. " _Do_ it then, you _fag_! _Kill_ me! You _know_ you're _thirsty_ for my blood! Get it _over_ with, already! Satan's waiting for me!"

Jack held his lightsaber up, before he looked towards Kyle.

He walked over, and asked his trembling boyfriend. Kyle looked at him, before he saw Jack offering him the lightsaber.

Kyle looked at it, and back to Jack, before he took it, and Jack held him gently as the two walked over to Gerald.

Stan and Kenny widened their eyes slightly, but did _nothing_.. They could only stand there in _wonder_ and _amazement_!

Was.. _Kyle_ going to go face to face with one of his _rapists_!?

Jack stood by him, and Kyle raised the lightsaber, aiming to decapitate his father. His hands trembled as he held the blade high.

"My boy.." Gerald said, with an eerily.. _calm_ and gentle voice this time. "Is.. _finally_ a man!" He then closed his eyes, awaiting his evident fate.

Kyle held the blade up, and clenched his eyes shut, but as the seconds passed, he just _couldn't_.

Finally, after a solid minute, he lowered the blade and handed it to Jack.

Gerald shot his eyes open, the happy expression fading, and his _angered_ one returning.

"No.. NO! You were supposed to _kill_ me! You were raised _better_ than this! _Kill me_! Kill me _right_ now, you _bitch_!"

Gerald went insane.

Kyle's lips began to quiver as he looked away.

Jack turned to Gerald, and with one swift slash, ended his life. The air was silent as the lightsaber deactivated, and the snow covered in blood, Gerald's head separated from its body.

Jack turned to Kyle, and pulled him into a gentle hug. "He won't hurt you again..." Jack whispered softly.

Kyle stopped crying a bit, and just clung to Jack. Jack took a deep breath. "Let's...let's get you home." He said, and he helped Kyle towards the car. He stopped, and looked towards Stan and Kenny. He nodded in thanks, but didn't say anything. The yellow in his eyes was gone, replaced by their natural, though right now, tearful blue.

Stan and Kenny nodded back, but said nothing, only sighing, as they got back into the car, ready for Jack to just take them back to the school so they could go home for the night..

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Jack and Kyle walked up the school steps. While they walked, they noticed various looks, and even heard a few comments from the other students, such as,

"Oh, there's _Jack_.. He _started_ that war, y'know!"

"No he didn't! It was clearly Cartman's _fatass_!"

"Jack's a war hero.."

"Ugh, _that_ rich asshole again.."

Clearly the responses were _very_ mixed. Some saw Jack as a war hero and brave figure, while others saw him as a warmonger they didn't like. Jack also noticed some comments directed towards Kyle, which were similarly mixed.

"He has been _so_ brave throughout this entire war process.. I hope he's doing alright."

"You kidding? That dude's weak as _hell_! You seen him try to climb the rope in PE?"

"Yeah, he's _gay_!"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole! Kyle is a _nice_ guy! Maybe you should keep your thoughts to yourself!"

Jack sighed as he kept walking, before the pair entered their first class. Jack hated Mr. Sanders… Indeed, so did everyone else.

When they entered the classroom, they saw Drew and Bebe were there as well. The two couples sat next to each other, and soon the class had begun. Mr. Sanders walked in, stinking like he usually did, before he walked over to the whiteboard and began his 'lesson'.

"Okay yous, dumb kids.. I know we had a war that some fatass or gay Californie or some dumbass like that started.. But yous all still gotta turn in your 20 page paper on.. the history of Geometry or some shit like that." Mr. Sanders slurred his words.

Jack rolled his eyes, and leaned back, _not_ in the mood for this shit today. _Especially_ not today. He frankly didn't care. Kyle, however, who had tried his best to keep up with school, was searching his backpack for it, before he finally found it, and placed it on his desk, along with the few other people who had actually kept up with their work.

As Mr. Sanders picked up the papers, he stopped at Kyle's desk, and looked over the paper.

"Now _see_ that, ya dumbasses?" Mr. Sanders began. "The Jew boy was the _only_ one to do this dumbass essay it seems like.. Go figure! The rest of yous is a buncha lazy _bums_!"

Kyle noticed the looks he was getting as Mr. Sanders returned to the board, and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. He was really regretting come here today…

Jack noticed Drew stand up and walk over to Bebe's desk, saying something to her. He didn't hear most of it, but he managed to catch the end..

"-be back in a couple hours, okay? Love you.."

"Love you too.." Bebe said.

Drew and Bebe kissed as Drew began to walk towards the door.

Mr. Sanders snorted for some fucking reason and then stood in front of the door.

"Where do ya think you goin', pretty boy?" Mr. Sanders asked Drew.

Drew rolled his eyes.

"Job interview.." He bluntly answered.

Mr. Sanders chuckled and crossed his arms.

"Oh yeah? And where _at_?"

"Somewhere that makes more than the _shit_ wages you have.." Drew replied with a knowing smirk.

Jack began to laugh, not even caring if he got in trouble.

"Hey!" Mr. Sanders yelled, pointing at Jack. "Yous gonna-" He was cut off when Drew budged past him, exiting the room. "Hey!"

The entire class erupted into laughter, only turning Mr. Sanders redder from anger.

"Oh, yous think this is _funny_ , huh!?" Mr. Sanders demanded. "Well _guess_ what, 100, no, _200_ pages of why you're a dumbass! Due _tomorrow_! If you don't turn it in, it's an _F_!"

Jack got up, and walked right up to Mr. Sanders. "I've fought in a war. I couldn't care _less_ if I failed one of your pathetic assignments."

With that he flipped Mr. Sanders off, and walked to his desk, as if nothing happened.

"Yeah.." Mr. Sanders snorted. "A war _your_ Commie ass probably _started_ in da first place! People think it's some fatass, but _my_ money's on the _Commie_!" He smirked.

Jack looked at him for a moment, before Mr. Sanders looked to Kyle, and decided to insult him as well,

"I don't know why your dumbass _stays_ with this Commie loser! I thought Jews was _smart_!"

Kyle narrowed his eyes, before snapping back. "Compared to you, a rock is Albert Einstein."

"Oh yeah!?" Mr. Sanders snorted. "I wouldn't be so _full_ of yaself, Jew boy! I'm not _dumb_! You _kids_ is the dumbasses!" He then pointed at Bebe. "Like that dumb blonde over there! Blondes are _dumb_!"

Bebe merely held her head like she was stressed out. She was used to Mr. Sanders' antics by now, but the pregnancy simply intensified the stress..

Jack stood up, and said darkly. "Leave them alone." He snarled, looking the fat teacher in the eye.

"Ooh.." Mr. Sanders faked a shiver. "I'm _so_ scared! What're you gonna do, Commie? Huh? See watch," He pointed at Kyle. "Faggot." He then pointed at Bebe. "Dumb blonde bimbo!"

He then looked back at Jack with a shrug.

Bebe then made a groaning sound, as if she was in some sort of pain. She was also tearing up as well.. Probably due to her stress headaches..

"Shut up!" Mr. Sanders yelled. "Me and Commie are talking!"

Jack looked at Bebe with concern. Ignoring Mr. Sanders, he walked over and asked gently. "Bebe, are you alright? Do you need the nurse?"

"I.." Bebe began, before she groaned even louder this time, grasping her stomach. All of a sudden, everyone gasped when they saw that the floor was all _wet_! "Oh.. Oh _fuck_! It's happening! It's _happening_! So soon.. But it's happening!" She then groaned in pain again. She was in the early stages of going into labor.

Jack immediately yelled. "Somebody get a doctor!"

"And a _janitor_!" Mr. Sanders yelled rudely.

"Shut up!" Jack ordered him venomously.

He then turned to Bebe. "Can you stand? I can drive you to the hospital."

Bebe nodded, as Jack and Wendy, who was in the class, both helped her up.

"It's okay, Bebe.." Wendy gently said. "Deeep breaths.."

Bebe did just that, trying to calm down.

"D- _Drew_!" Bebe said through her contraction pains. "Tell _Drew_!"

Jack nodded to Kyle, who immediately called Drew while Jack and Wendy helped Bebe stand and they began to lead her to Jack's car.

"Where are yous goin'!?" Mr. Sanders yelled. "Class is _still_ in session! The blonde can drive herself! She can walk!"

Jack responded by using the Force give the teacher a Texas wedgie. Mr. Sanders yelped in shock, and fell to the floor. This caused the other students to laugh at him.

The force of the wedgie had worn Mr. Sanders out, and he now laid on the floor, breathing heavily, his underwear stuck up his ass. He was too winded for anymore insults.

Kyle followed after Wendy, Jack and Bebe as they entered the parking lot. As they began to drive off, Jack said gently. "It's okay. We'll be there in a bit. Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

Bebe nodded, breathing heavily as Wendy continued to coach her to take deep breaths to calm down.

"H- Have you.. told Drew? Where is he now?" Bebe asked through her breaths.

Kyle nodded. "I called him. He's going to meet us at the hospital."

Bebe nodded with a relieved smile, before she frowned.

"I h- hate to make him miss a j- job interview, but.. It's happening so _soon_! Why a- am I giving birth at _2_ months!? What if something _happens_!? What if-"

" _Breathe_.." Wendy told Bebe again, maintaining order. Bebe did so, and Wendy added, "Nothing will happen to that baby so long as _we_ have anything to say about it! And _you_ won't either! You _got_ this, girl.." Wendy held her hand comfortingly at the end.

Bebe forced a slight smile, before going back to breathing. The hospital wasn't too far away now..

As they entered the hospital, Kyle rushed to the counter. "Our friend is about to give birth. We need a doctor!"

As the hospital personnel did their thing, they heard someone rush into the entrance.

"Bebe!" Drew said, rushing over towards her.

Bebe smiled, but grimaced in pain, as another contraction was coming on.

"Ohhhh.." She groaned in pain. Once it calmed a bit, she hit him on the arm, teasing, "This is _your_ fault, asshole! You did this to me!"

Drew rolled his eyes, but held her hand. As the pain inevitably came back again, she squeezed his hand tightly.

Even though this was the most painful experience of her life, Bebe still felt at _ease_.. She had her friends, and her true _love_ there right beside her..

"I called your Mom.." Drew told Bebe. "She sounded-"

"Bebe!" Someone yelled at the entrance, rushing in, this time a feminine voice.

"Well, I'll let _you_ find out." Drew laughed.

"Oh my God, Bebe, are you _okay_ , sweetie? Do you _need_ anything? Oh my God, they need to _hurry_ the hell up and get us a _room_! They-"

"Mom!" Bebe exclaimed, slightly embarrassed. "It's _okay_ , I-"

"It is _not_ okay, I-" Bebe's mom walked over towards what looked like a doctor. She started demanding for a room that they could put her in.

Bebe facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Oh, God.." Bebe muttered.

"Gotta love moms!" Drew replied with a chuckle and a shrug.

Jack then called them over while Bebe's mom was still talking with the other doctor. "They got a room for you now Bebe,"

"Oh, thank the Lord.." Bebe said, still trying to control her breathing.

Drew whistled in Bebe's Mom's direction.

"Hey, Mom!" Drew said, getting her attention. "We got us a room."

Bebe's mom said something sassy to the doctor that no one else could catch, before she followed suit.

The doctor had everyone wait outside, while Bebe and Drew waited in the delivery room. Drew held her hand, as she continued to squeeze on it tightly, especially when the contractions got _bad_!

' _I swear my hand might fall off.'_ Drew jokingly thought.

"Drew?.." Bebe gently said, getting Drew's attention.

"What is it, Bebe?.." He asked.

Bebe rubbed his hand with her other one and admitted,

"I'm _scared_.."

Drew looked down for a bit, before looking back into her eyes.

"I- I know, babe.. I am too.." Drew said.

Bebe shook her head.

"No, like.. I'm _scared_! Not for this birth.. But just.." She sighed. "Nevermind.."

Drew rubbed her hand now, in a comforting way.

"It's okay.." Drew gently said. "You can tell me.. What are you scared of?"

Bebe looked Drew in the eye tearfully and replied,

"I'm afraid of _losing_ you!"

Drew's eye widened in absolute shock. That had come out of left field!

"What?.." Drew asked in shock.

"I-" Bebe began, still crying. "I had a _nightmare_ last night.. That- That you _left_ me somehow! I- I can't remember if you _died_ or walked out on me, or-"

Drew cut her off with a quick kiss on the lips.

"Bebe.." Drew softly said. "You know I would _never_ walk out on you.. You and Kenzi? You're the most important things in the _world_ to me.. I would _never_ leave you.. And no one's _killing_ me either! Not unless they get past my newfound Dad powers first." Drew chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Bebe chuckled as well, but only for a brief second.. She then sighed.

"I just.. With all this _war_ going on, and these _rapists_ , and _criminals_ , and _psychos_ who dress as _bats_.. I just don't wanna _lose_ you to something like that! I _love_ you! And I wanna be with you _forever_.."

Drew now began to tear up himself. Her words were full of emotion, and she meant every last one! He could _tell_..

No one had.. _ever_ cared about him on this level before! _None_ like Bebe has! She actually _listened_ , she _loved_ him, she _cared_ about him.. She was always _there_! No one, not even his own _mother_ had ever been this close to him!

Drew couldn't resist himself, and he leaned forward and kissed her passionately on the lips again, tears flowing down his cheeks. Bebe returned the kiss, tears flowing from her eyes as well.

"I _love_ you.." Bebe said.

"I love you too, Bebe.." Drew replied softly. "I'll be with you _forever_ and _always_.. Nothing will tear us apart.."

Bebe smiled and the two continued to hold hands, awaiting for the inevitable birth to happen..

It would be a matter of hours..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack, Wendy, Kyle and Bebe's mother waited for the news. Wendy was trying to comfort Bebe's mom, who was getting more worried every second.

"Oh, _God_.. It's been _hours_! You think she's alright!? What if something _happened_? What if-"

"Mrs. Stevens.." Wendy softly said, as she constantly has had to do to reassure her. "I'm sure Bebe's doing _just_ fine.. The baby should be here not too much longer!"

Bebe's mom sighed, taking her _own_ deep breaths..

"A _grandma_.." She said. "I still can't _believe_ it! It seems like just _yesterday_ I was giving birth to _Bebe_!"

Kyle smiled. "I bet the baby will love it's grandmother, Mrs. Stevens."

Bebe's mom grinned and held Kyle's hand, patting it thankfully.

"Thank you, Kyle.. Bebe has always said you were a sweet boy.." She looked up at him and Jack both. "I hear you two _both_ have kids to deal with already?" She chuckled.

Jack and Kyle looked to each other, before nodding. "Yeah, kids can be a handful..." Jack deadpanned. "But we wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither." Bebe's mom responded.

Wendy sat there in silence, forcing a grin. She then took a deep breath, followed by a sigh. Stan _still_ hadn't contacted her yet.. Whether it was from nervousness or him just not wanting to, she didn't know..

Even though she possibly had Stan, Wendy _still_ felt left out and lonely.. She didn't _have_ any real group of friends to hang out with at school.. She thought about asking Jack or Drew about hanging with them, but she was too shy to..

She would've told Bebe, but she didn't wanna embarrass herself in front of her friend.. Wendy simply felt alone and _worthless_ as of late.. Life _sucked_!

But at least today, she could be a _little_ bit happy.. For her best friend.

Finally, a doctor walked out. "You can come see your daughter and granddaughter, Mrs. Stevens."

The doctor didn't have to tell her twice! She shot _right_ out of her chair and headed for their hospital room.

Jack and Kyle followed soon after, while Wendy waited a bit.

Soon after entering the room, they saw that the baby was being breastfed by Bebe, while Drew sat back in his chair, as if exhausted and relieved that this was all over. Yet at the same time, he felt _accomplished_!

He was a _Dad_!

And Bebe was a _Mom_!

"Hey, guys." Bebe softly said with a grin.

Kyle smiled. "She's beautiful, Bebe..."

Jack nodded in agreement.

"Ooooo!" Bebe's mom exclaimed in excitement, causing Bebe to sigh but smirk at the same time. "She's so _cute_ , honey! I can't _wait_ to spoil her rotten! Her favorite place will be Grandma's house!"

"Oh, I'll bet.." Bebe rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"Little Kenzi is _finally_ here.." Drew said aloud, looking at his daughter with a smile. Drew and Bebe both had circles under their eyes. They were _tired_! But none more so than Bebe!

After a little bit, everyone got their turns to hold Kenzi. Needless to say, Bebe's Mom practically didn't wanna let her go when it was all said and done!

Finally, Drew got to hold Kenzi for the first time. He looked at her now sleeping face with a smile. Never before in his _life_ had he _ever_ felt this happy!

' _I promise you, Kenzi..'_ Drew began to think. ' _Daddy will protect you no matter WHAT! You won't have to live how I did.. I'll be an amazing father! Better than HIM.. I swear it!'_

Wendy came in a little later. She just needed some time in the waiting room to herself. The next hour or so consisted of seeing the baby, and just talking about future plans and arrangements.

"So, you finally gonna move out of that cramped apartment and into something new?" Bebe's mom asked Drew. "Now you have one _more_ to worry about." She chuckled.

Drew grinned slightly and answered,

"Yeah.. I've been looking at a few places close by. I have a job waiting for me once I can finally make it past the interview. I had to cancel so I could make it here. The guy was _totally_ understanding about the whole thing. I like him already!" He chuckled at the end.

Jack grinned. "That's good at least. Hopefully he's a good boss."

Drew shrugged.

"He's a contractor.." Drew confirmed what kind of job it was. "So I'd be doing construction work. Building houses, and sheds, and shit.. Kind of ironic, if you ask me. I sure _need_ a new house!"

"Yes you _do_.." Bebe got in, a smirk on her face. "That apartment is _way_ too small for five!"

Drew nodded.

"I'm working on it.. Just gotta get things all settled first." He then shook his head. "Man, _17_ years old and I'm looking for a good deal on a _mortgage_ payment for a new house.. Didn't see _this_ one coming." He chuckled at the end.

Jack chuckled. "It seems that you are in the same boat I was when I first got here. Anything specific when it comes to the new house?"

"Eh.." Drew shrugged. "As long as it's in good condition and is big enough for the five of us, then-"

"And it's gotta _look_ nice!" Bebe pointed out.

Drew rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"-And it's gotta ' _look good'_.." Drew imitated.

Kyle laughed. "That reminds me of the fact that we need to paint our house." Kyle said to Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Why? I like the way it looks?"

Kyle looked to Drew and Bebe. "Come on! You guys can agree it needs a _little_ paint?"

Drew shrugged and said,

"Eh, I mean _I_ think it looks fi-"

"It so _does_ need painted!" Bebe said, with a newfound energy. It seemed she had recovered from her birth pains, and was slowly reverting back to a normal feeling.

Kyle grinned at Jack. "See Bebe agrees with me!"

Jack looked at Drew with a 'help me' expression.

"What color were you thinking for your house, 'Miss Kyle'?" Bebe smirked, referring back to what Adia had said not long ago.

Kyle sent her an annoyed look, before continuing.

"Well, maybe light blue or something for the inside? Don't quite know about the outside yet.."

Drew continued to just rock the baby on his knee slowly, as the two ladies began talking about home design.. He just sat there in silence and just let everyone else talk.

After a little while, Jack commented. "She has your eyes, Drew."

Drew looked down, and sure enough, Kenzi had opened her eyes for the first time! They were a light blue, almost _exactly_ like her Dad's!

Drew looked down at her with a smile. Her hair was a lighter color and was curly. Most likely she was going to have curly blonde hair just like her Mom, as well!

"She really does.." Drew said aloud. "Kenzi has quite a bit of her _Mom_ in her too! See the hair?" He pointed out.

"Aww, she _does_!" Wendy said, happy for her friend. "She's _beautiful_ , Bebe. I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Wendy.." Bebe said with a thankful grin, as Drew handed Kenzi back to her. "And thanks to _all_ of you for the help throughout my pregnancy! It should've lasted 7 months longer, but still.." She laughed.

"I'm grateful I have such _amazing_ friends," Bebe said, before she look at her mom and Drew. "and such a wonderful _family_.."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack was not very happy about this. He and Kyle had been late because of traffic, and no doubt Mr. Sanders would say something stupid…

They entered the classroom, and as expected, Mr. Sanders looked towards the door at them, his arms crossed.

"Well looky who da _fuck_ decided to _show up_!" Mr. Sanders ridiculed. "You're _ten_ minutes late!"

Jack scoffed. "What a pity..."

Mr. Sanders pointed at Jack,

"Watch ya fuckin' tone, Commie! Or else you're goin' straight to PC Principal's Office! We clear!?"

Jack sighed as he sat down. "Crystal."

"Good!" Mr. Sanders said, as he began to turn back around to the board.

Jack looked to Kyle, and whispered. "You okay?" He asked. Kyle nodded.

Jack nodded, before he turned to Wendy and Drew, who were talking next to them.

"Yeah.." Drew yawned as he talked to Wendy. He was still clearly very exhausted from helping take care of Kenzi, as well as his secretive nightly escapades as the Batman. "She can be quite a handful, but we're getting by alright.. We're thinking of sending her to _Grandma's_ today.." He ended with a chuckle.

Wendy chuckled back.

"Well that's good to hear.. I need to come by and see her sometime."

Drew shrugged.

"Hey, you're welcome to come by anytime.."

Before Wendy could reply, Jack spoke to them.

"Amelia can't wait to meet little Kenzi. She's starting school today, which...feels weird." He chuckled.

Drew smiled.

"I still need to come by and see her after her first day of school. Her _Uncle_ wants to see how it went." He ended with another small chuckle.

Kyle nodded. "She does want to see you."

"Well, I'll be sure and-" Drew began, before he saw Wendy scooting her desk away, as if to not interfere with their conversation.

Drew looked at Jack and Kyle with a confused expression, before he looked back in Wendy's

direction. She now appeared to be writing something in her notebook with a saddened sigh.

Jack and Kyle both seemed just as confused.

Drew scooted closer to Wendy, looking like he wanted to say something.

"Um.. Wendy?-" Drew began, before he was cut off by Mr. Sanders.

"Shut the fuck up back there! I'm tryna teach!" He yelled.

Kyle rolled his eyes, _not_ in the mood for Mr. Sander's bullshit.

"Oh! O- I _seen_ that, Jew boy! Don't test my patience today! I got _plenty_ of referrals I can _hand_ your ass!" Mr. Sanders said.

Kyle rolled his eyes once again, before he looked down at his book. But not just any book. It was his new _favorite_ comic book that Drew had given him, signed by Stan Lee. This unreleased Spiderman story just _never_ seemed to grow old for Kyle!

Kyle was startled when he heard giant footsteps march towards him, and snatch the comic book out of his hands.

"Wha- HEY!" Kyle yelled.

But it was too late..

 _TEAR!_

Mr. Sanders ripped the comic book in half, and threw it in the nearby trash can.

He pointed his finger at Kyle before yelling,

"This is _MY_ class, and _MY_ time! Quit reading _gay_ ass books, when you're supposed to pay attention to _ME_!"

Kyle narrowed his eyes, and stood up, tears starting to form in his eyes. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He yelled. "YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING _CUNT_! THAT WAS A _GIFT_! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT MEANT TO ME!"

Mr. Sanders began to mock cry.

"Oh, _boo hoo_.. Cry me a _river_!" Mr. Sanders said.

Drew gritted his teeth, his anger beginning to _boil_! How could he just _do_ something like that!? If he wasn't a more disciplined man, he might've kicked Mr. Sanders' ass up and down the classroom!

"Go and take your Commie boyfriend's _dick_ and _shove_ it up your ass!" Mr. Sanders smirked. "Maybe _that'll_ get you off your period!"

Kyle yelled and lunged at Mr. Sanders. He had had _enough_! He threw a punch that sent Mr. Sanders reeling back a bit. The teacher's nose started to bleed as he regained his senses.

Marching up to Kyle, he cocked back his left hand and…

 _SMACK!_

A large smack hit Kyle in the face, which sent him to the floor. Drew began to stand up, as if to control the situation. But then.. he _froze_.

 _Everyone_ froze when Jack stood up. "Oh you're fucking _dead_!" Jack snarled.

He walked up to Mr. Sanders, and shoved him back lightly. "Come on you fat low-life, booze drenched _redneck_!"

Drew walked up to Jack, putting a hand on his shoulder, whispering,

"Watch yourself, Jack.. Remember you have _powers_.. He could die if you're not-" Drew was cut off.

"That's the _idea_..." Jack said dangerously, and only then, Drew noticed Jack's eyes burned yellow.

Drew widened his eyes. He knew _exactly_ what that meant! He had seen it himself..

Drew tried his best to pull Jack away, hoping that he would calm himself and comply.

"Come _on_ , Jack.. It's not worth it, man.." Drew tried to reason with Jack.

Mr. Sanders laughed at that, taunting,

"Yeah.. Go _on_ , Commie! Let your other _pretty boy_ boyfriend save you!"

Jack laughed malevolently. He then stood up, not even adopting a fighting stance, only crossing his arms, and signalling for Mr. Sanders to make his move, tauntingly.

Mr. Sanders merely moved his head towards Jack threateningly, trying to get a reaction out of him.

"Yeah, you _pussy_!?" Mr. Sanders taunted back. "Too _scared_ to throw a punch? I always _did_ hate queers.." To finish it off, Mr. Sanders spit right onto Jack's torso, as a sign of disrespect.

Jack looked at him for a moment. He then reached into his pocket, a metal cylinder in his hands as he pulled it out.

Mr. Sanders laughed,

"What is that? Your _dildo_?"

Jack activated it, revealing the blade of his lightsaber, _this_ time, _blood_ red.

Drew gasped, widening his eyes, as did the rest of the class.

" _No_.." Drew whispered to himself. This did _not_ look good! Jack was letting the Dark Side consume him!

Mr. Sanders now stood wide eyed, beginning to back up as Jack walked forward. He now had him trapped against the whiteboard.

He chuckled in fear and began to beg,

"N- Now, Jack.." Mr. Sanders finally called him by his first name. "Let's _talk_ about thi-"

Jack shook his head, and began to walk forward, his expression blank.

Drew rushed over and tried to lock Jack in a full nelson, so as to subdue his arms.

"Jack, _stop_!" Drew demanded. "If he dies, half of this town will go _berserk_! The law will be all over you! You _need_ to _stop_!"

Jack laughed. "I _am_ the law!" He then turned to Drew, and with a light force push, freed himself from Drew's grip, causing him to fall on his butt, before Jack turned to Drew. "This _doesn't_ concern you."

He then began to walk forward again towards Mr. Sanders. "I want to hear you _beg_!" He screamed. "I want to hear you _plead_! To show just how _weak_ you are!"

"Oh, no _please_!" Mr. Sanders pleaded as he felt the heat of the lightsaber grow closer to his neck. "I- I has a _family_! I got two _daughters_ , man!"

Jack stopped for a second, before he grabbed the man by his neck, and held him up with one hand! "Apologize to every one of them for _all_ the bullshit you've said and done! _Especially_ to _him_!"

As Mr. Sanders scanned the classroom at all their stunned faces, he choked out,

"I- I w- won't _do_ that! I never apologized to _nobody_!" There was a slight pause. "B- But _listen_ , ya _gotta_ believe me. I didn't mean to d-"

"I said _apologize!_ " Jack thundered, throwing him to the ground, and standing over the cowering teacher.

"I- I can't!" Mr. Sanders whimpered, still trying to sound tough. "I won't-"

Jack sighed. "That's a shame..." He began to walk forward again.

"N- No! _No_! Stay away!" Mr. Sanders yelled, trying to scoot backwards. But his weight was simply too heavy for him to go any farther.

Jack held up his hand, and this forced Mr. Sanders onto his back, and exposed his throat. Jack stood over him, but didn't make the final move yet…

Drew was now back on his feet, standing in front of Jack, face to face, looking into his now yellow eyes with a scowl.

"Jack, this ends _now_! You _can't_ be doing this! We're _better_ than this! This _isn't_ the way!" Drew tried reasoning with Jack again.

Jack didn't flinch. "Why shouldn't I? He hurt the one I love...Just like Cartman, and Zillum and..."

His eyes widened slightly, before they narrowed. "And they will _all_ die for what they've done. _One_ already _has_."

"That may be true.." Drew said. "But _he_ , doesn't have a Replicator!" He pointed at Mr. Sanders. "You wanna beat his ass? That's fine.. You wanna report him by legal due process? _That's_ okay too.. But _killing_ him? Don't you think that's a _little_ too far? Just a _little_ bit?.."

Jack hesitated, before he asked. "What would you do in my situation? Be _honest_ Drew! You would want his head on a _platter_."

For the first time, the ever quick minded and witty detective was now at a _loss_ for words.. He was _stumped_..

Jack had him at a checkmate..

Jack looked at him, before he looked down, gritting his teeth. He deactivated his lightsaber. He then stalked off towards the Principal's office, but he stopped, and said to Mr. Sanders. "When this is over, you're going to _pay_ with _everything_ you have!"

When Jack was gone, the entire room was silent for a good couple minutes. Out of nowhere, Mr. Sanders, who was breathing heavily, quickly stood to his feet and ran out of the classroom, seemingly running to his car to get away from the school.

Drew then looked back up slightly, as he was looking down in silence for a good couple minutes.

He clenched his fist tightly, as if he wanted to punch something, but through self control, he ceased..

He stormed out of the classroom to go outside.

Drew needed a _breather_ after this one.. He had never been so disappointed in himself, more than he was, right now..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PC Principal and Mr. Mackey were chatting, when the door opened, and a livid Jack stepped in. "I want that bastard _out_!"

"Woah, Mr. Anderson!" PC Principal began. "The term 'bastard' is a micro aggression, that belittles-"

"Mr. Sanders slapped Kyle." Jack snapped. "If he's not gone within twenty four hours I'm suing this district."

They both gasped. Mr. Mackey repeated in fear,

"S- _Suing_!? M'kay.."

"S- Slapped _Kyle_!?" PC Principal asked in anger, beginning to tremble. "Oh, that _homophobic_ , _racist_ , _sexist_ , _xenophobic_ -"

PC Principal took some deep breaths, so as to calm himself down.

"Now.." PC Principal added. "Why did.. _he_ , slap Kyle?.."

Jack looked the Principal in the eyes. "Why should that matter? He slapped a student, that qualifies as child abuse, does it not? I am going to be clear, if he's not gone, then I am suing this school. Have I made myself plain?"

"Well to be _fair_ , M'kay," Mr. Mackey began. "PC Principal _does_ need to know the reason he slapped him so he can have a more detailed report for the police, M'ka-"

PC Principal cut him off.

"Mackey, I've _got_ this.." There was a pause, before PC Principal looked at Jack. "Mr. Anderson.. I can _assure_ you.. It will be _handled_.. I'm _sick_ of him, myself! Seniority or not, he's going _down_!"

Jack nodded. "That's all I wanted to hear."

He then added. "So long as he is gone, I will only sue him. Fear not, you will be left alone."

"Sounds good to me.." PC Principal nodded.

Jack nodded, before he strode out. Then, he stopped.

He froze in his tracks, and asked himself. " _What_ am I becoming?!" He whimpered. Then he remembered…

The look in Kyle's eyes. The look in his classmates' eyes.

Fear. Primal _terror_.

He was a _monster_.

He was a _tyrant_. He had let the darkness consume him, and he nearly _killed_ not only another person who frankly didn't deserve death, but his _brother_ …

He ran. Ran down the hall, out of the school, and into the schoolyard. He stopped in his tracks, when he saw Drew had been heading back, and for a split second, the two made eye contact.

Drew didn't say anything. He merely stared him in the eye, not angry, just really upset with Jack, as well as _himself_..

That was it. The disappointment…

Jack teared up, and collapsed to his knees. "Did you see the way he... _looked_ at me?" He asked softly.

Drew, once again, just looked down at Jack in silence, letting him continue on.

Jack slammed his fist on the ground. "What is _happening_ to me?! Why can't I control this anger?! Why?! What if I hurt Kyle or Amelia or Simba-"

"Then I'll be the _first_ one to bring you _down_.." Drew seriously said, before he began to walk away, without another word.

Jack took a deep breath, before he asked Drew. "Then why don't you _now_?"

Drew stopped in his tracks, not turning to face Jack.

"Because I believe in _second chances_.." Drew simply said. "I believe that everyone has a chance at redemption.. No matter _how_ evil, or cruel in their actions. We all make mistakes, but.." He sighed. "What matters is you _stopped_ yourself.. Something I _failed_ to do.. That shows that there's still good in you.. Redemption to do better down the line.."

Jack was about to reply, before they heard a low laugh.

"Well, well.. We meet yet _again_.." The familiar voice of Cartman said to Jack.

Jack looked up, and slowly stood to his feet. He didn't respond, only looking at Cartman with...disgust. Not anger. Not hate. Disgust.

"For the last time, Eric." Jack replied calmly.

Cartman showed himself in full view, having gained some scrapes and bruises from their last encounter. Especially when Batman dropped debris on him.

"Indeed it _will_ , be the last.." Cartman said. "For _you_ , maybe."

"You stand against us alone, Anderson."

Jack turned slightly to see Zillum step into view on the right, while Deathstroke stepped into view on the left. The assassin then spoke,

"The bounty on your head is one that you _will_ not escape! Your head will be _mine_ for the taking.."

"Jack.." Drew began, frozen in place, staring the three down. " _Run_."

Jack held up his hand calmly, signalling Drew to be quiet. This caused Drew to scowl.

"All men die." He said calmly, almost angelically. "Only a _few_ really live."

He activated his lightsaber, and with a deep breath, held it at the ready. "Tell Kyle I will always love him..." He said gently.

"You're _insane_.." Drew spoke quietly, yet firmly, referring to what Jack was about to do.

Jack shook his head. "No..."

He then said. "This war has only _begun_. You will not crush us. It will not be me, but someday, somehow, you will be defeated. You fight for hate and anger and vengeance. I fight for what I _love_. I _live_ for someone worth _dying_ for. I stand to face you without any expectation of survival. But I won't cower. I will stand and fight!"

He looked all three in the eyes as he said that last part. And all three noticed not a _hint_ of fear in his eyes. Just calm acceptance.

"Well, this should be _easy_.." Cartman smirked, pulling out his lightsaber.

"Easiest paycheck I'll _ever_ receive.." Deathstroke confidently said, unsheathing his sword.

"You will die braver than most _boy_!" Zillum said.

"Jack, you need to get _out_ of here! Before they fucking _kill_ you.." Drew said more firmly this time, trying to save him.

Jack took a deep breath, and lunged forward.

Where once the dark had him in it's grip, now Jack seemed to have embraced the light.

And now, the fight had begun.

All three were stunned by the ferocity of his initial attack, but almost immediately, this wore off, and very soon, they forced him onto the defensive.

Drew knew there was no stopping Jack or _anyone_ right now.. He knew he'd _have_ to utilize the Batsuit..

But first things first, he had to get everyone _out of here_ before they came in their line of fire!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Drew ran closer to the school, and into a dark alley, where no one else was around. He took some deep breaths and reached into his pocket for a small device he had built with the Replicator. Once he found what he was looking for, he pressed the button.

Now he waited..

Hopefully it actually _worked_..

Fortunately, within a matter of seconds, Drew heard what sounded like a large aircraft fly through the air, before something began to fall from the sly, and land into the alley.

It startled Drew at first, but then he appeared relieved that the device he built had actually _worked_!

What it did was send his Batsuit via an air launch, that way he could access it no matter where he was if he needed it.

Now all that needed to be done was to access it.

Drew stuck his eye into a scanner, before typing in a complex 12 digit combination, confirming access to the launch pack. It opened up immediately after, revealing the Batsuit in full display, the red eyes on its cowl illuminating, despite the darkness inside.

It didn't take long for Drew to don the Batsuit. Within seconds, he was fully locked in, ready to fight anything that came his way.

He pressed another button on the device that was in his pocket, and the airdrop flew back into the sky, and back to where it came from.

Batman looked out in the distance and at the school, where he knew Kyle, Wendy, and all his classmates to be. He had to alert everyone _now_ , of what was happening. They had to _evacuate_!

He pulled out his grapnel and grappled into the sky, gliding towards the school to get there _much_ faster!

After all, time was limited more than _ever_ now..

He also realized that Jack would need _help_! Then he remembered...Vader!

Maybe _he_ could be of assistance? That would be his next _stop_ after he was done evacuating the school..

This battle was going to be a violent and bloody one, but hopefully the wrong side wouldn't come out the victor..

 _No_..

They _wouldn't_!

They will _never_ win!

Batman made a promise to himself right then.. He despised war more than anything. But if he had to fight and end this thing, then he would do just _that_..

Batman slammed the school doors open and rushed to the main hallway. He knew that everyone would be there at around this time, since it was in between classes.

Finally, he saw Kyle at his locker, seemingly appearing still upset about what all had happened earlier.

Then, there was a loud crash, and Jack was thrown _through_ a nearby window, Zillum leaping into the hallway. Batman turned the corner and hid, so as to not be seen by either of them. "You show skill, but you are unbalanced!"

Jack got up, and took a deep breath. He then rushed forward. The two locked blades, and Jack leapt back just in time to avoid a series of slashes from Deathstroke and Cartman.

Jack blocked desperately, but continued to fight.

Kyle's eyes widened, and for a split second, Cartman's eyes locked on Kyle.

"This is just _too_ fucking perfect.." Cartman said, trying to make his way towards Kyle. "Two for the price of _one_.." He laughed, looking back at Jack, then at Kyle. He began to walk forward once more.

He had barely any time to dodge the slash Jack sent in his direction as he got between them.

Jack continued to fall back under the ferocious assault of all three warriors.

Then, the door opened, and Vader stepped into view.

He activated his lightsaber, and began to walk forward. Deathstroke turned to face Vader.

"Feeling better, Sith Lord?" He taunted. "Thought you might've punctured a lung or two in our last encounter.. Would've been a _shame_ if you'd've died.." He ended sarcastically.

"Your overconfidence is your weakness, _assassin_." Vader snarled, and the two locked blades, taking some pressure off of Jack, but not enough to give him enough room to go on the offensive.

"You will perish, _boy_!" Zillum snarled.

Out of nowhere, Zillum felt something sticky land on the side of his head, as if it was _thrown_..

It began to flash faster and faster, and started to beep really loud. Zillum widened his eyes in shock, and before he could react, it exploded.

But this wasn't a bomb! It was a gadget Batman had created called a 'Concussion Detonator'. It basically sticks to one's head, and once detonated, gives them a _massive_ headache similar to that of a concussion, leaving them dazed for awhile.

Zillum reeled back in slight pain, holding his head, before Batman turned to corner and charged him, sending a flying kick into his face, knocking him to the ground.

Zillum fell to the ground, but recovered. He looked to the figure in front of him, and grinned. "It seems things have just gotten more interesting. Don't think I haven't heard about you, 'Batman'..."

"It's _over_.." Batman coldly warned Zillum, as well as the other two villains. " _Last_ chance.. Surrender, or you will face the consequences.."

Zillum laughed coldly, before Cartman lunged at Batman. Batman dodged the attack, and it seemed Cartman was focused on him more than Jack. Likely because of the events of the last fight…

Zillum turned to Jack, who stood ready. "Your reign of evil ends now." Jack said, and the two engaged in a bitter duel again.

Meanwhile, Batman and Cartman were engaged in their own fight.

Cartman came out with the _big guns_ right off the bat, beginning to Force Choke Batman in the hopes that he would suffocate, or even _better_ , so that he could break his _neck_!

Batman didn't panic, however, and he pulled out yet _another_ device called an Electrical Charge. It was essentially a device that shot out electricity, simple as that.

Cartman laughed right in Batman's face, as he applied more pressure to his neck.

"What're you gonna do with that? _Shoot_ me? I _dare_ you!" Cartman taunted.

Batman pointed the device at Cartman, looking ready to fire it at him. Cartman stood at the ready with a smirk, getting prepared to deflect every single shot that came his way.

However, Cartman gasped in _shock_ when Batman quickly pulled his aim _away_ from Cartman, and at something near the ceiling, on the wall!

It was a large air unit, which they had installed on the wall quite a bit higher than you'd normally see. With the electricity coursing through the unit, it began to overload, before it _fell_ off the wall, and towards Cartman!

"Ah, fu-" Cartman began, before the air conditioner fell _right_ on top of him, incapacitating him.

Cartman reached for his lightsaber, but before he could grab it, Batman stepped on his hand.

"Ah, AGHH!" Cartman screamed in pain. Batman kicked the lightsaber to the side and punched Cartman in the face _multiple_ times, before finally, his hard head began to give out, and he lost consciousness..

Jack continued to fight Zillum, and this time, it seemed, he was able to match him.

Jack froze, and held out his hands, and suddenly, two items were yanked from Zillum and Cartman's belts.

Everyone froze. Jack had just taken their replicators!

Jack then grinned, and sent a massive force push against Zillum, that sent him flying into a wall. Jack sensed no-one was near there, so he built up his energy, and then, with one final _tidal_ wave of force power, injuring his enemy greatly. Zillum fell to the ground, struggling to move.

Jack then turned to Batman and Vader, and looked at Deathstroke. "Now, we will happily accept your surrender." Jack said.

Deathstroke looked at them, before saying firmly,

"A soldier _never_ surrenders.. He only awaits the next _battle_."

Out of nowhere, he sent a smoke pellet on the ground, similar to what Batman uses. Batman reached for Deathstroke through the smoke, in the hopes that he wouldn't get away, but it was in vain..

When the smoke cleared, not only Deathstroke, but _Cartman_ was gone as well..

When they looked towards the rubble where Zillum was, they saw he was gone as well.

Jack took a deep breath, before he looked down. In his hands were _three_ Replicators. This...this was perhaps the most _decisive_ moment in the war. For the enemy was now completely outgunned. They could win every battle for a month, but they would be _incapable_ of replacing their losses.

Jack looked to Vader, and to Batman. "Well...I guess we did win this. They have no chance of defeating us now."

"They never _did_ have a chance.." Batman simply said. "I would never _allow_ them to.."

Vader looked to him. "You fought well. Most impressive."

He then added. "And neither would _I_..."

It was then that the three of them noticed the stunned faces of all the students and faculty in the hallways. They had come out of hiding as the battle was going on.

Jack noticed the expressions of everyone there. Some were just speechless, some were slightly terrified, while others looked on in awe at their display of power and heroism.

"Damn.. You kicked that fat boy's _ass_!" Heidi told Batman, a smirk of awe on her face. She used to _date_ Cartman, so she _knew_ how much of an evil bitch he was!

"Y- Yeah, and did you see how _he_ handled that ninja assassin guy!? Gah!" Tweek said, pointing at Vader.

"Don't forget Jack.. He fucked that lizard guy _up_!" A _more_ familiar face this time said. It was Token. He hadn't interacted with them _much_ , but nonetheless, he was still a pretty nice guy towards them.

Jack's eyes fell on Kyle, who looked at him with awe. Jack backed up slightly, afraid that Kyle feared him.

Kyle walked forward, and the two embraced. Jack sighed contentedly, glad this was over.

Well, _almost_. Now, they just needed to end this war.

Batman began to walk towards the exit in silence, before he caught a glance of someone's expression that _stuck_ out to him, from the corner of his eye.

It was _Wendy_.. She stood there, frozen in place, just looking at Batman with awe and absolute nervousness.

He could _sense_ it on her face.. She was nervous about _him_! But why? Was she _scared_ of him? Surely _not_.. Bebe had told him that Wendy actually _supported_ the 'wacko bat guy', as she put it.

So _why_ was she so on edge?

Batman took a step forward, before he stepped on something that had been left on the ground in the middle of the fray..

It was a notebook..

The _same_ yellow one that Wendy was writing in during class today..

And it was open to a certain page. It was definitely dropped while being read.

Batman picked the notebook up, before he cocked a brow slightly. There were _words_ on it of course.. But it was in some sort of a _poem_ format..

To the mysterious man who means the world to me.. To the one who I love, that's not meant to be..

' _You dress in black, and you dress like a bat.._

 _That one day, you saved me.. But why would you do that?_

 _I'm sure it was you, that much I know._

 _The more souls you save, the more my love grows.._

 _I know it sounds weird, and I don't know why.._

 _But every time I lust for you, it makes me wanna cry.._

 _To know that you'll never feel the way I do._

 _It leaves a burning pain in my heart, that I never once knew._

 _I thought I did once. I thought it with Stan._

 _But now I truly realize that he's not my man.._

 _I truly connect to you. We're both so alone.._

 _We both know what it feels like to be on our own._

 _If I could kiss you just once, it'd show me the light._

 _All I want is your love.. my handsome Dark Knight..'_

Batman widened his eyes slightly, _stunned_ by what he had just read. He looked over at Wendy, who was blushing red, and looking away in embarrassment. She began to cry, but couldn't move. She was just too _devastated_ to do anything..

That is, until Batman walked up to her..

She ceased her crying and looked up at him, to see that he had his arm extended, offering her the notebook back.

Wendy hesitated slightly, still in shock, before she accepted it. Batman looked her in the eye, before he sighed slightly, saying briefly,

"It was well written.. You show much emotion."

With that, he didn't say another word, before he turned and walked towards the exit, leaving everyone in silence..

Jack watched Batman go, before he took a deep breath. He walked over to PC Principal and Mr. Mackey, and wrote them a check. "For all the damages..." He said calmly, handing it to them, before he walked back to Kyle, and the two began to head off, before Wendy stopped them.

"H- Hey, guys.. Got a minute?" She still seemed shy, but was in a _much_ better mood, considering what just happened. No one else had read that poem except the one she _wanted_ to read it. And best of all, he called it _well written_! That simply made her confidence massively grow.

Jack nodded. "What do you need, Wendy?" He asked with a friendly smile.

Wendy grinned slightly, before she looked off to the side. She still looked a bit hesitant, but took a deep breath and came out with it.

"Can.. you and Kyle meet me at that Japanese restaurant? I'm gonna try and get Bebe and Drew to come too.. I just.." She paused, obviously leaving out what she really wanted to say. "wanna hang out.."

Jack cocked a brow, before nodding. "Sure. Would five work?"

Wendy nodded with a meek smile.

"It does.. I just gotta let Drew and Bebe know. I.. guess I'll see you there?"

Kyle nodded. "Sure thing. We'll see you there, Wendy."

"Okay.. Cool." She said, before walking away slowly.

It was clear that she had _more_ to say, but Jack and Kyle didn't push it.. They figured if it came out, it would _tonight_..

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Jack and Kyle met Drew and Bebe at the Sushi restaurant, waiting for Wendy's arrival. The restaurant owners finally were more comfortable about letting Drew back into the restaurant, considering he didn't _have_ any of that same anger anymore. Plus he paid the damages..

Wendy showed up a couple minutes after everyone else had initially arrived. She approached them with a meek smile and said,

"Hey, guys.."

Bebe gave Wendy a friendly hug and responded,

"Hey, Wendy.. Good to see you!"

Drew greeted her with a smile as well and also gave a friendly hug.

It certainly was a little weird feeling.. Considering what Drew now _knows_ about Wendy's true feelings towards Batman.. The evening would certainly be.. an interesting one, if anything..

The two released from the hug and Wendy asked with a knowing smile,

"So where's Kenzi? At your mom's?"

Bebe nodded.

"Yeah. Me and Drew _certainly_ need a break.. It's been a little while."

Wendy gave a nod, before she turned to Jack and Kyle now.

"Hey. Glad you could come!" She told them.

Jack and Kyle nodded with friendly smiles.

Wendy looked at everyone, the same meek smile on her face, before she sighed in internal exasperation. There was definitely something up with how Wendy felt on the inside, and that was a fact..

"So.. Wanna, just go inside?.." Wendy asked everyone.

Jack nodded, before turning to the others, awaiting their confirmation. Kyle nodded as well.

Drew simply opened the door and held it open for everyone.

"Well, let's go." He said.

The group headed over to their table, and as they sat down, Jack looked over the menu. Kyle, however, noticed something was up with Wendy. "Are you okay Wendy?" He asked, a bit concerned.

Drew simply took a drink of his water, shifting in his chair. He already _knew_ what was probably about to come..

Wendy looked at everyone, before locking eyes with Bebe, who held a _very_ concerned reaction for her friend.

"Wendy.. What's wrong?" She asked gently. Bebe put a calm, reassuring hand on Wendy's own, also _smiling_ reassuringly. "You know you can tell us.. It's okay."

Right then and there, Wendy began to break down, sobbing at the table. She began to hug Bebe for support, which Bebe immediately, albeit in a state of shock, acted upon.

Drew looked down slightly, with his eyes close to shutting. He could _feel_ Wendy's pain.. He understood it. Probably more than anybody, minus perhaps a couple other people.. Even with the information he knew, even _he_ wasn't _completely_ sure if that's what this was about..

Jack and Kyle looked at each other, both concerned for Wendy. Kyle in particular. He knew that Wendy had been lonely since the breakup with Stan, but he didn't know she was hurting _this_ much…

"Ohh, I'm hurting.." Wendy said through tears. "My chest hurts _really_ bad. I feel like _shit_.."

Bebe widened her eyes with concern.

"Do you need to step outside, or-"

"No." Wendy cut her off, shaking her head. "No, I'll be alright, it's just.." She sighed, sitting in silence for a few more seconds. "There's.. a bigger _reason_ , I called you guys down here.. Not just to eat and to hang out, but I just.. had something to _say_.."

Jack cocked a brow, believing he knew where this was going.

"Or," Wendy began once again, her tears drying up more than they had been. "I guess you could say it's _two_ things.."

" _Whatever_ you've gotta say, Wendy.. We're listening.." Bebe softly said, before she turned to everyone else. "Right, guys?"

Kyle nodded.

Drew forced a smile, and nodded his head.

"Right.. We're listening. It's okay. Just.. whatever it is."

Wendy took a deep breath, before sighing.

' _No turning back now..'_ Wendy thought.

"Oh.. How do I _say this_.." Wendy internally debated.

There wasn't hardly anyone else _in_ the restaurant, so being heard wasn't what she was worried about.. It was what everyone would _think_..

"I.. Well-" Wendy tried getting out, before just outright getting to the point.. Sort of. "I think I'm in _love_ with someone besides Stan."

Bebe gasped, widening her eyes in shock. In all the recent years, her and Stan's relationship and on and off feelings for one another seemed like they would last _forever_! For Wendy to now say that she loved someone _else_? It really came as a shock to her!

But it _also_ got her pretty excited.

"Ohhh Wendy!" Bebe exclaimed with perhaps _too_ much excitement for her friend. "Who is it? What's he look like? Come on, I need _details_!" She then finished. " _I_ think it's _great_ you're beginning to move on.. I mean.. Stan is a great guy, but you two just don't.. _click_ , like you guys used to.. In that way.."

Jack looked to Drew, asking his friend if he knew with his eyes.

Drew did a phenomenal job at acting 'shocked', and he simply looked back at Jack with a bewildered shrug. The look on his face told Jack, 'your guess is as good as mine'.

When in actuality, Drew knew _full_ well who Wendy's secret crush was. On a _personal_ level..

"I- I know.." Wendy said in response to Bebe. "But I just.. I dunno.. You guys would probably think I was _stupid_ or insane.."

Jack narrowed his eyes slightly, before he looked away, and said. "Wendy," he began gently. "We would _never_ think that. If you want to tell us, you can. If you want to wait, you can. It's up to you."

Wendy shook her head, telling not only them, but also _herself_ ,

"If I'm gonna do this, I'd better do this now.. Otherwise it'll just eat me up inside.."

She looked up at everybody, who was staring at her like hawks. After one final moment of hesitation, Wendy came out with it,

"I- I'm in love with.. _Batman_.."

Everyone at the table gasped in shock.

"WHAT!?" Bebe exclaimed, perhaps _way_ too loud. If it wasn't for the lack of people in the restaurant, it probably would've caused a scene..

Kyle blinked, before he asked. "How...I mean...that suit is kind of..." Kyle trailed off, reddening slightly before looking away.

Jack sent him a look that was a mix of surprise, disbelief, and even a bit of hurt.

Drew simply sipped on his water, looking off to the side slightly.

' _Well then..'_ Drew thought to himself. ' _Certainly didn't expect that.'_

Kyle looked noticeably uncomfortable. He hadn't really meant to say that aloud. And now…

Jack tried to take his mind off of that. "Are you sure?" He asked Wendy.

"I.." Wendy began, taking in a deep breath. "I'm _sure_.. I haven't been so sure in my life, but I just.. can't _explain_ it!" She then looked down in guilt.

"I know I've liked Stan for most of my life, but-" She cut herself off in sadness, unable to continue.

Jack nodded in understanding. He looked to Drew and Bebe, awaiting their responses.

Bebe hugged her friend as she began to shed more tears.

"It's okay, Wendy.. We're- We're not judging you." Bebe had her own opinions on the matter, but thought it best to keep them to herself for now.

"What the fuck is _wrong_ with me, Bebe?.." Wendy asked herself tearfully. She now looked at everybody. "Am- Am I _crazy_ for loving someone that I _know_ will never love me back? Especially one who I've only seen a couple times.. I don't know what's wrong with me.. I don't _know_ why I feel this way.."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds, before Drew this time spoke,

"Love works in mysterious ways, Wendy.. Just take a look around this table." He motioned to everyone else present, himself included, who just so happened to be couples from unusual circumstances. "You may think it to be 'weird' or 'strange', but so is a lot of other relationships.. And-"

He paused briefly, debating on whether he should say this last part. It would most _likely_ boost her spirits a little bit, so he decided to just come out with it.

"-And who _knows_.." Drew said. "Maybe.. Batman will love you in return. Crazier things have happened.." He ended with a shrug.

Jack nodded. "Indeed. This is just the latest in a long line of crazy events that happen here."

Wendy regained a bit of her smile after hearing that. She tried her best to dry up her tears, and confidently sit back up.

"Y- You're _right_!" She told both Drew and Jack. She now faced Drew exclusively. "M- Maybe he _will_ love me back.. Maybe I won't _have_ to be so alone, anymore.. I would be so _happy_."

Drew smiled weakly, internally guilty knowing that it would never come to be.. But even still, getting Wendy's confidence up was _good_! Maybe this boost would be enough for her to potentially find another special someone; maybe even Stan once more.

"You _know_ you could also hang out with _us_ , Wendy.." Bebe told her with a smirk. "You don't _have_ to be shy around us.. Whatever happened to the Wendy from Elementary school? From Middle school? We wouldn't mind, _would_ we, guys?" She asked everyone.

Drew shook his head in response, a weak smile still on his face.

"Anytime." He said.

Jack nodded. "Yes, you are more than welcome in our group, Wendy."

Wendy gave a weak smile in response, saying softly,

"Thank you, guys.. I- I know I'm going through a rough time right now, and I hate dragging you guys in the middle of it, but.." Wendy took a breath. "You guys have already helped a _lot_.. This is a weird and confusing time for me, but I have faith that you guys, my _friends_ , will help me find the way.."

"We will do everything we can, Wendy." Kyle said with a slight smile.

"And that's all I can ask for.." Wendy responded. She then sighed. "I _wish_ things could've worked out with Stan, but-"

" _Forget_ about him.." Bebe advised her. "Stan's a nice guy, but if he doesn't wanna give you the light of day for even a _phone_ call? To talk things over? He's not worth your time, girl.."

Kyle flinched slightly at that, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

Wendy once again sighed in slight sadness.

"You're probably right, Bebe.. I- I'll just try and forget about relationships for awhile, and see where it takes me.."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack locked the windows to the bedroom. It was one of his precautions. He simply couldn't risk his family. He stopped as he locked the last window in place. His _family_.

To not only have found his soulmate, but two beautiful children. A home. A _life_ …

He smiled slightly. He had been so busy lately. He hadn't been able to spend _nearly_ as much time as he would have liked. He had been so caught up in all that had been happening, that he began to lose sight of _what_ he was fighting for.

Jack looked out the window. This was his home…

He looked at the clock. It was only seven thirty. Simba and Amelia were probably downstairs, and Kyle was probably with them, making some dinner with the Replicator…

He stopped, and had to smile slightly. He wanted to spend more time with them. He _would_ spend that time with them…

He locked the window, and walked downstairs. Kyle had made the food; some gourmet Mac and Cheese for Amelia, some Steak for Simba, and for him and Jack, some sushi.

The kids were in the living room, playing with Rexy, while Kyle was finishing up the program. He shivered slightly. Jack stopped, and noticed that the AC was a little low…

He walked to one of the closests, pulled out a spare blanket, and walked back into the kitchen.

Kyle didn't seem to notice him. Jack used the force to turn up the AC a bit, and walked over, before gently wrapping the blanket around his boyfriend. Kyle jumped a bit in surprise, but immediately relaxed when he saw it was just Jack.

He smiled as Jack pulled him close. "I thought you might need a blanket, my Kylie."

Kyle chuckled. "Thanks." He said, before leaning against Jack's shoulder. Jack smiled slightly.

"How would you feel about a movie tonight? Something to take everyone's mind off the war."

Kyle looked at him. "What's gotten into you? Why are you acting so sweet?"

Jack shrugged. "I was just thinking. I've been so caught up in this war that I've been kinda distant from you. I think I owe it to my beautiful family to just give us a night to relax."

Kyle nodded. "I'd like that..."

The couple brought the food into the living room, and placed it on the table between the two couches.

"Amelia? Simba, how would you guys like to watch a movie?" Jack asked.

"That would be awesome! Maybe Avengers! Or Star Wars! Or-" Simba began, before Amelia cut him off.

"What about Zootopia? I heard that was really good!"

Simba stopped before he thought for a moment. "Yeah...I forgot about that one."

Kyle grinned. "Zootopia?"

Their kids nodded, and went to get their food. Kyle placed the plate of steak on the ground for Simba, since, he didn't have thumbs obviously.

Rexy hopped up onto the couch, and sat down by Amelia, who began to pet her gently. "Hey girl!" She greeted. Rexy purred softly as she rested her head on Amelia's lap.

Jack and Kyle joined them soon after, before Kyle leaned against Jack's shoulder as Jack set up the TV. Simba finished his steak soon after, and hopped up onto Jack's lap, before Amelia leaned against Jack's side. Jack thought for a moment.

They truly _were_ his family…

It really was a magical moment. Being a family.

 _They_ were his whole world.

 _All he had ever really wanted._

Rexy, still fairly small, was nevertheless an affectionate, playful animal, and was undoubtedly the family's beloved pet. Sure, she wouldn't be able to remain indoors for very long, but she would _always_ be a part of the family. One of Jack's first creations with the Replicator, but as real as any dog or cat would have been…

Amelia, his little girl. She was such a joy to raise. She was a kind, gentle child who seemed to always want to see the good in people. She was a pure soul, and his little angel…

Simba, his firstborn son. He might have been a different species, but Jack didn't care. He would _always_ be proud of his son, and he couldn't wait to see what his son would accomplish in the future…

And...Kyle…

He had never expected to feel such undying, pure love for anyone in his life. Kyle had trusted him, and that trust had led to this. To a family. To a home. To a life. To a future. Kyle was his everything.

This was where he belonged. With his family.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack and Kenny were walking down one of the trails at the local park. The two hadn't really talked that much when Kyle wasn't around, so Jack decided to reach out to Kenny, to try and establish a better friendship.

"I still can't believe no-one else remembers it when you die..." Jack mused, leaning against the rails of the bridge over a small creek.

"I still can't believe you _do_!" Kenny chuckled in return, still internally curious why _now_ all of a sudden it was becoming noticed.

Jack shrugged. "Don't know why, I just do..."

He stopped. "I am a bit worried about Kyle, honestly. He's been acting...different lately. I think what happened last week is still weighing heavily on his mind..."

Kenny sighed, saying,

"I wouldn't be surprised.. And even _Sheila_.. I wonder what _she_ thinks of all this.."

Jack looked down. "She probably still hates me...She probably thinks I turned Kyle against her..."

Kenny shook his head, crossing his arms, and looking at the creek,

"Domestic issues, man.. You just can't _fuck_ with those too often.. They get _messy_! I've been through a few rough cases of that, myself.."

Jack looked at him. "I'm sorry to hear that, man."

"Yeah well.." Kenny began, leaning against the railing more than he was. "The world keeps spinning, life goes on.. And so should we."

Jack nodded in agreement. "How is Stan doing? He seems to be...distracted by something..."

"Pftt.." Kenny quietly tried to mutter to himself, appearing a bit frustrated. "It's _Wendy_.. He tried talking to her finally, and she apparently told him there was 'someone else'?.. I dunno.. He hasn't come out of his house for a few _days_ now.. At least, not _often_.."

Jack sighed. "I..." He trailed off. "I hope he's going to be alright, I mean, we do need people like him after all. There always needs to be at least one hippy out there.."

"Don't mention the word 'hippy' in front of Cartman." Kenny joked. "Fucker might have a _heart attack_." Kenny chuckled slightly, but then shook his head, finishing,

"Wish the fatass _would_.. It'd make things _way_ better, and _way_ simpler.."

Jack nodded. "We have taken his replicator, but we still need to lure his army out into the open and destroy it. That's easier said than done..." He stopped, however, when he thought he noticed... _something_ in the water.

Kenny cocked a brow, not paying as much attention. He was looking more towards the sky.

"What're you looking at? You look on edge.." Kenny told Jack.

Jack squinted his eyes slightly, before his eyes widened slightly. He walked off of the bridge, picked up a little stick, and walked to the edge of the water. "If this goes south I need you to be ready." He said, before he nudged the water, causing a slight ripple within it.

Kenny sighed, walking over to where Jack was.

"The shit I get dragged into.." Kenny muttered half-jokingly. "Well if I die, at least I'll be back tomorrow.."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Just let me know if you see the bastard moving up towards me! I don't have that luxury!"

Kenny held up both his hands.

"Okay, fine! _Geez_.. Just… do what you gotta do." He said.

Jack nudged the water again, before retreating back up the river bank a bit, before returning and repeating the process. Then, his eyes widened and he rushed back as _fast_ as he could, before…

Jack nearly fell to the ground as a fucking _crocodile_ burst onto the bank, hissing as it climbed out of the water, before it stopped as it climbed onto the bank. It was around ten feet long, and had a narrow, rough snout common to Crocodiles that distinguished it from Gators.

Kenny flinched back in momentary fear, his eyes widening.

"Holy _shit_!" He exclaimed, before his next words were.. _unexpected_. "That's so _awesome_! I've never _seen_ a crocodile in real life before! Y'know _normally_ I'd question their existence in a cold ass town like South Park, but considering all that's happened recently-" Kenny rambled on, before he was cut off.

"Hush. Male. We're not in as much danger, because it's an American Croc by the looks of it. But he's obviously pissed off. Probably freezing his ass off!"

Jack stood up, and began to back up slightly, just feet from the croc. The croc seemed to calm down a bit, before it took a few steps to the side. It turned back back to the water, but stopped after looking at it for a few moments. It seemed unsure of itself, like it didn't want to return to the water.

Kenny leaned to the side and whispered to Jack,

"What's _wrong_ with it?.. You think it doesn't like the water because it's too cold?"

Jack nodded. "He's probably cold in general. I mean, it's what, 45 degrees fahrenheit? Crocs are cold blooded after all..."

He cocked a brow. "However...he doesn't seem to bothered by it...beyond slight discomfort."

Indeed, the Croc walked around a bit more, seemingly getting more used to the temperature.

"So, uh.." Kenny began, his earlier awe fading slightly, as reality set in a little bit. "You're not thinking of actually.. _catching_ this thing, are you?"

Jack cocked a brow. "Do we have much of a choice? I mean, we can't let a ten foot crocodile just wander around the park. Think of the paperwork if someone gets bitten."

"Well, I mean.. Technically we _do_ have a choice, but-" Kenny began with a shrug, before he was cut off.

"You do know if the police catch it, it will be killed right? Would you want to see an animal like that get killed, knowing we could have saved him? I know you always had a soft spot for animals, along with pussy."

Kenny looked down in silence, before looking at the crocodile in the distance. The two stared at each other, none making any sudden move or noises.

Finally, Kenny sighed.

"Well.. You're right about that, I suppose.." Kenny said. He then added. "You just tend to get a little nervous when it's a fucking _crocodile_! It's not like we're catching a raccoon or a spider or something.."

Jack nodded. "The first thing we need to do is try to keep his mouth closed and immobilize him. I'm going to try and..." He trailed off, before the croc looked back at them, and began to approach them.

The croc approached slowly, before it stopped a few feet away, and looked at them curiously, awaiting their first move.

"Well this is just _great_.." Kenny whispered in Jack's direction. "Now it's waiting for us to make some sort of move.. I can't tell if it's _planning_ something, or just doesn't know what we _are_. I love animals, but I still have a lot to learn.. And I'm _especially_ nervous about this.."

Kenny finished as he slowly turned his head to look down at the crocodile once more.

The croc looked between them, before it laid down on its stomach. Jack looked up a bit, and noticed that it was in a spot a little closer to the sun… It was probably trying to absorb heat.

Jack looked at Kenny. "That gives me an idea. I'll make a heat lamp with the replicator, and lure him into a truck, and we'll figure out what to do with him."

Kenny smirked slightly, noticing what Jack did just slightly later.

"Smart plan.. Maybe it'll work." Kenny said.

Jack nodded, and after leaving the strike-zone, he headed off to make the Replicator, leaving Kenny and the Crocodile alone. The croc watched Jack go, before it looked up at Kenny intently.

Kenny chuckled nervously, trying not to make any sudden moves, saying,

"N- Nice.. croc."

The croc looked up at Kenny again, before it laid back down on the ground.

Kenny then heard a truck pull up behind him, and felt a bit of heat. He risked a glance back, and saw Jack had arrived with the truck. The croc seemed to have noticed as well, and began to climb into the truck to escape the cold.

"Close the door Kenny, so he doesn't get out." Jack yelled.

Kenny jumped slightly, rushing to close the truck door before their plan could go wrong. He pulled the door shut, locking the latches tightly, leaving the croc locked inside.

Kenny took several deep breaths, before muttering to himself,

"Th- That was nerve wracking.." His expression then turned to that of excitement, turning to Jack. "But we got it!"

He heard Jack laugh a bit as he climbed out of the truck. "Do you think the others will ever believe this?"

Kenny's response was confident.

"I think _so_. I mean.. Dinosaurs? Talking lions? Replicators? Guys who dress like _bats_? I don't anything would come as a surprise anymore." He finished with a laugh.

Jack chuckled. But then he stopped. "Where did that Crocodile come from though?" He asked.

"American Crocs are native to Southern Florida, and they're _never_ this far west or north."

Kenny shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine.. The fatass, perhaps-" He began to speculate, before he remembered. "Oh yeah.. His Replicator is gone, isn't it?.. Hmm.."

Jack nodded, before he thought for a moment. "Well, he came down from that little thicket over there most likely. Should we check it out? Just to see if...anything is out of the ordinary?"

"We might as well. We've already come _this_ far.." Kenny replied.

Jack nodded. He then began to head towards the thicket.

They stepped through the snow, and into the small thicket. It wasn't too large, but it was hidden by a few tall bushes and trees.

Jack cleared a bush out of the way, before he stopped dead in his tracks.

"W- What is that?.." Kenny asked Jack, stunned, yet perplexed at what he was looking at.

It was an undulating mass of light and plasma by the looks of it.

Jack blinked. "I...don't know..."

He squinted. "Can...can you see a bit of green on the other side? Is that like a portal or something?"

He then picked up a small stick, and gently threw it towards the portal. And as expected, it disappeared _through_ it, and the sound of it crashing against the ground on the other side indicated it was indeed a portal.

Kenny's surprise wore off rather quickly, mostly due to his exposure of unnatural events and objects as of late.

"Just.. how?" Kenny questioned aloud, "Who put this portal here? Why crocodiles?.."

Jack shook his head. "I...have no idea man."

He took a deep breath. "I'm going to have the army set up a barricade. We'll try to explore it later. But first we need to have an idea on what could potentially be there."

Kenny nodded, saying,

"And there's _also_ no telling how many _more_ of these portals could be out there.."

Jack nodded in agreement. "If there are, we need to predict, and contain them."


	11. Chapter 10, Day of Decision

Alex, Cate and Nala had decided to pay Jack and his family a visit after the recent duel. That was all the town could talk about, it seems, and they wanted to make sure Jack and Kyle were okay.

Ever since Simba slept over at Alex's house so he could catch up with Nala, the lioness cub grew closer to the couple. She saw them as guardians in this strange new world, but there was something in her heart that told her it was more than that. This was evident due to the fact that Nala would often wake up in their bed, despite being made a dedicated, customised bed for her to sleep in.

They knocked on the door. Amelia opened the door. "Hi Uncle Alex! Hi Aunt Cate!" Amelia greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Amelia," Cate returned, also with a smile, before the three guests entered the house.

When they got there, they noticed that Jack and Kyle were lying on the couch nearby. Kyle was snuggled up to Jack, and seemed to be completely asleep. Jack blinked slightly, seemingly waking up.

"Hello, Jack," Alex said before he smiled. "Same-sex couples are so adorable," he commented.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I can't help it if Kyle is a deep sleeper and wakes up when he wants to."

Kyle shifted slightly, and laid against Jack's chest. Jack chuckled. "I rest my case..."

Cate chuckled. "How are you currently faring?" she asked.

Jack shrugged. "Better than I was earlier...And yes, it's true that for a while I fought Zillum, Cartman, and Deathstroke alone for a little while."

"Fuckin hell, I missed a hell of a part-" Alex was cut off by Cate's elbow hitting him in the abdomen.

"Oof! I mean, I'm sorry I couldn't help you with that. Tony insisted that he show me his gift for me," Alex said.

Nala laughed. "It's funny when you make him change his words like that," she said.

Jack was about to reply, before Kyle began to wake up.

"Morning Kylie." Jack chuckled, even though it was late afternoon.

He then asked Alex and Cate. "So where the hell were you two during that fight?" He asked with a grin.

"I don't know where Cate was, but as I said, Tony showed me his gift for me, and even when I got reports of fighting, Tony tried to get me to wear it, but it ended up breaking, which he said wasn't supposed to happen. To which I replied 'Y'know, performance issues, not uncommon.'"

Kyle groaned tiredly. "I thought Iron-Man was supposed to be smart..."

"Well, the smarter the genius, the bigger the mistake, or something like that, probably, I don't know," Alex shrugged.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, you probably got that right."

Simba walked into the room soon after. "Hey Nala!" He greeted.

"Hi, Simba!" Nala returned with a grin.

Kyle was still half-asleep it seemed, and protested when Jack sat up.

"Oh come on! I was comfortable!"

"I am not your pillow." Jack said with a chuckle.

Kyle just 'hmphed' in response.

Amelia giggled. "Why is daddy so tired?"

Jack paused, before saying. "We'll explain when you're older."

Amelia pouted. "But dad! I am old enough!"

"Well, if you're that desperate for the truth, then here it is. So basically, when two… individuals love each other very much…. their… they-"

He was cut off by Jack's death glare.

"Y'know what? I agree, three weeks is far too young to learn about that," Alex chuckled nervously.

Jack nodded in agreement. "And Uncle Alex will have to learn when to stop talking..."

"Ah, now, you see, before I met you lot, I was a quiet, hardworking boy. But maybe you have all moulded me into a better person," Alex responded.

He then got a text that said, 'Alex, you are not going to tell my daughter that I bang her daddy at night. Clear?'

Alex looked to Jack having read that text and nodded firmly.

Amelia giggled. "Uncle Alex is scared of dad..."

"Yes I am, because you know why? He is a wizard! He can make people that annoy him float high in the air and zap them like flies, so I'm going to stop talking unless I am spoken to," Alex replied. 

Jack grinned. "And don't forget it Marvel Maniac."

"Okay smokey, Jedi Jack."

"You two are awfully casual considering that Jack was only recently severely wounded," Cate commented.

Jack shrugged. "I've had worse..."

"Oh, that reminds me! Tony also replaced the palladium in my arc reactor with something he calls 'Badassium'," Alex reported. "I no longer need that disgusting black medicine!" He added.

Jack was about to reply, before Kyle hissed. "Language, Uncle Alex."

"What? Once it's approved by the science community, it will no longer be defined as a cuss word," Alex claimed.

"Keyword?" Kyle began. "Once."

Alex sighed. "I'm sorry. Amelia, words like that are for adults only, okay?"

Amelia nodded. "I understand, Uncle Alex."

Kyle finally noticed that no-one made a joke about him, and was happy about that.

"I'm guessing Halloween isn't at the top of your priority list this year, right?" Alex asked.

Jack shook his head. "We have too much at stake right now..."

Amelia looked up, and asked. "Is the war going badly, dad?"

Everyone stopped. Jack had been dreading telling his daughter this, hell, he had been dreading telling the others…

He looked down slightly. "Jack?" Kyle asked, a bit concerned.

"Is it really that bad?" Nala asked with a hint of worry.

Jack sighed. "The Russians and Chinese have overrun our allies in Asia. That guy Kane controls Africa now, and...Cartman's friends in Europe have taken control of the entire continent. The Neo-Confederates have taken most of the Northeast, and the so-called 'True Americans' are pushing into California..."

"Are they going to take over the world?" Amelia asked.

"No. They are not going to win. We will defeat them. I will not see the Nazi swastika fly in any place, so long as I have life in me, and so long as there is hope, victory is inevitable. Yes, it may be long and bloody, but the price of freedom is high… and it's a price I'm willing to pay," Alex declared.

Jack nodded. "But even when Cartman falls, we still have to reconquer an entire planet..."

"I assume it's going to be like when the Allies took over Germany, right? Just temporary jurisdiction and then the lands will be returned to the rightful citizens?" Alex asked.

To everyone's surprise, Jack shook his head. "No." He replied firmly.

"Come again?" Alex blinked.

Jack took a deep breath. "It's clear that with the existence of the Replicators, and with them in the hands of so many enemies, the only solution is one thing. The Nations of the world must lose their independence and rule at the pleasure of a worldwide Empire. No national militaries, the same laws in force everywhere, and a firm but fair hand to enforce peace, justice, liberty and democracy."

"Yeah, but… the thing with global empires is that there are so many different peoples with so many different needs. Do they not have a right to decide their destiny? Sometimes countries exist to serve the needs of individual countries," Alex replied.

"Name one country that actually does that Alex, instead of just lying and telling the people what they want to hear and never acting on it. I have no interest in letting lines on a map ruled by power-hungry warmongering politicians decide the fate of the world."

"But when you have such a sudden change in society, there are those who will resist, those who may end up being left behind," Alex said.

Jack shook his head. "Every person on earth will have a basic replicator to provide food, water, electricity, warmth, and sanitation. Every person shall have a right to decide their leaders. But no man will have the right to harm another. Nation-states will be kept intact, but they will acquiesce to the authority of the Empire. I am doing this for the good of humanity. How many people do you think really understand the issues at hand? How many do you think actually realize what will happen if this system continues? Brexit is living proof of that. People need to be led like a parent would a child."

Alex looked down slightly. "I do not disagree with what you are proposing, but do you think there is no other way than the absolutist vocabulary that your solution entails?" he asked.

"I am not proposing the dismemberment of democracy. But I am saying that a new system is needed. One that acknowledges the future. One that will do more than fight over lines on a map. One not ruled by a green piece of paper!"

"Eh, that's fair enough. But what if it does fail? We have seen that democracy can be influenced, and even when people like Jacob Rees-Mogg have everything to lose, but want society to return to what it once was, are catered for, people like that won't be satisfied with the type of socialism you're proposing. How will you deal with people like that?" Alex asked, now only needing to be convinced on the practicalities and detail.

Jack shook his head. "Simple. They will put up and shut up. They can protest non-violently. They can go to their local government. But simply put, the Empire will enforce peace on the world. By force if necessary."

Alex made a face that suggested that he didn't exactly agree with Jack's wording. "Well, if you insist. I mean, if you only allow one path for humanity to take…"

Jack looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm trying to stop future bloodshed."

"Your vision is far from bad, but what if your vision differs to the vision of the rest? What if all other governments say 'go right', but you say 'go left'?" Cate interjected.

"They won't be able to," Jack said. "The Empire will be the only one with military strength, and continental governors will oversee Imperial rule in the nations."

Kyle took a deep breath. "Surely more rights can be given to the people? No-one wants to be ruled by one man, as benevolent as the man may be."

"My point exactly. The people can do whatever they want, say and express what they wish, as long as it doesn't harm another being. Liberalism at its core," Alex added.

Jack nodded, surprising the others. "All I'm saying is that there needs to be a better system. We need to be firm, but fair."

"No more wars, that we can all agree. We cannot truly evolve if we are trapped in a cycle of war and peace. Therefore, we should just settle for contentment," Alex said.

Kyle nodded. "At the very least, this Empire would need a constitution."

"Huh, I used to casually write a constitution for the UK in my spare time," Alex admitted. "Ended up being way too complex than it needed to be," he added.

Jack chuckled. "Well, you'll help with this one."

"I'd be honoured to!" Alex said with a smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: The two aliens in this chapter belong to Cyrannian from the Sporewiki. I only have permission to sue them.

"So, you say you found a crocodile. How is this of equal significance to everything else that has happened?" Alex questioned as he and Jack were walking through the forest near to the place where Jack and Kenny found it.

"Because of its location?" Jack asked. "We found a portal not to far from it. The army has a barricade around it. Just to be safe."

"Huh, no one told me. Maybe that's my fault. I hang out with the Avengers too much," Alex chuckled.

Jack nodded. "You do. At least I hang out with more than just the Generals and Vader."

He stopped, however, when he heard something. It sounded like…

He looked up to see an aircraft careening towards a nearby hill. It was in flames by the looks of it, and would crash very soon.

Jack turned and tackled Alex to the ground as the shuttle crashed. There was a thunderous explosion, and pieces of dirt and shrapnel landed all them, with a few peppering Jack's back as he covered his head.

"Ow!" Alex complained at the painful sensation that engulfed his back.

Jack pulled himself up, and looked around. There was a fair amount of destruction, with a number of trees destroyed, damaged, or uprooted, and a few fires here and there.

"Cleanup to the East Woods." Jack sighed on the communicator.

He then turned to Alex, who was dusting himself off as he got back to his feet.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah, all things considered," Alex replied as he took a deep breath. He turned to see the wrecked shuttle.

"The bloody hell did this come from?" he asked.

Jack was about to reply, before he stopped. "Is it me, or does that look like the Imperial Shuttle?"

"You're not wrong…" Alex said as he observed the shuttle. However, he flinched and retreated next to Jack when a loud noise originated from it.

A piece of metal had fallen, and Jack noticed a slender, vaguely saurian form fall to the ground. Jack squinted, and saw it wore what looked like an Imperial Grand Admiral's uniform and a cape. However, it had a Velociraptor's head, complete with a crown of feathers on the sides.

Jack looked to Alex, silently asking if he saw the...alien too.

"I'm not even surprised anymore. Is that... bad?" Alex asked.

Jack shook his head. "And we need medical personnel."

"Agreed."

Jack thought for a moment, before noticing the fire was getting closer to the shuttle. He also noticed the alien was attempting to lift itself up, before it collapsed to the ground.

Jack hesitated, before sighing, and rushing forward. He and Alex ran to the side, and each pulled the alien's arms over their shoulders, he then noticed that another, slightly more muscular and more reddish alien was inside the shuttle.

They helped the first alien to safety, and they then rushed back to help the second. Just as they escaped, the fire reached the shuttle.

But they were safe.

Finally, medical personnel had arrived.

"Yeah, just your average alien ship crash landing. At this point, I don't think anything will surprise us anymore," Alex commented.

Jack chuckled, while the two aliens were loaded via stretcher into the ambulance. Jack stopped for a moment. Aliens...They had freaking rescued aliens.

Jack got up, and hopped onto the ambulance, followed by Alex. "They should be alright. Stitches and a blood transfusion, which, thanks to the Replicator, is possible." One of the paramedics explained.

Jack nodded. "Excellent."

Alex sighed. "I better text Cate. We were planning on taking Nala to the park," he said. He then did that, with the message reading 'Our trip to the park will have to be postponed. Just rescued a pair of aliens who crash landed.'

Jack waited for a few seconds, before one of the aliens stirred. It was the brown one, who also had the tattered remains of a white cape on his back.

He opened his eyes groggily, and held a clawed hand to his head. He seemed to have quite the headache. He stopped, however, when he noticed Jack and Alex.

He cocked a brow, but showed no other real emotion, before asking calmly. "Humans...would you be so kind as to tell me where I am?" He had a clipped, reserved, but firm voice that commanded respect.

Jack looked to Alex, but was unable to stop his companion from speaking first.

"You're on the planet 'Earth', and you crashed outside the town of South Park, which is in Colorado, United States. You're in an ambulance en route to the nearest hospital where you will be treated with a Replicator," Alex explained.

The alien maintained a neutral expression, but his brow furrowed slightly. "What year is it in the Human Calendar? Because from what I remember of your kind, you abandoned 'Earth' around 2250 CE or AD."

"Uh… it's 2018 AD. Wait, did you come from the future or something?" Alex asked.

The alien blinked. "From your future and another galaxy, young one."

He sat up. "My name is Deoclet Caesarius. I come from the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus, roughly 5 NE, or 2805 AD."

He looked to the pair. "Who is in charge here?"

Jack blinked, before Alex motioned to him and said, "He's basically the Acting President of the United States, which makes him the most powerful individual on the planet."

Caesarius blinked. "Very impressive, young one. Even leading a planetary nation-state at such a young age is an achievement."

He looked to Alex. "My colleague and I noticed a fleet of Star Destroyers over your town. I am most impressed that you were able to build vessels such as that, and to the standard of Cyrannain designs. You mentioned a Replicator, is that how you built them? Because, forgive me if I'm wrong, you didn't develop hyperspace-equivalent ships until the 2200s."

"Well, this guy decided to casually accelerate technological progress on this planet by about 1000%. Because of the Replicator, a petty high-school fight turned into World War III," Alex said.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Will you stop it with that? It's really getting annoying."

Caesarius blinked, before chuckling slightly. "I've heard of worst causes for a war..."

He then asked. "Is there anywhere I could find star charts? I would like to see if I can pinpoint my galaxy."

"Constellations? You could just look to the sky at night, but if you're in a rush, there's always Google," Alex replied.

Caesarius rolled his eyes. "Your artificial maps won't help us. I need to view genuine maps."

Jack blinked, before asking. "If I showed you images of various galaxies, could you tell me which one is your home one?"

Caesarius nodded.

As Jack pulled up various images, they went through various images, before Caesarius stopped at one. "That's it, Cyrannus."

"The Pinwheel Galaxy?" Alex asked.

Caesarius nodded. However, his face turned to one of disappointment and frustration. "Unfortunately, that's not it. It is the same one, but it's in a different location. In fact, none of the galaxies I know of are here, or at least, where they should be..."

"Huh, sounds like a Doctor Who episode… anyway, do you hail from an alternate version of this universe or something?" Alex asked.

Caesarius shrugged. "It would seem so."

He sighed, before leaning back, looking deep in thought.

"I also noticed another fleet," he said, stopping. "One ship looked familiar..."

He hesitated as he said that.

Alex frowned when an idea came to his head. "May I ask if the name 'Zillum' is familiar to you?" he asked.

Caesarius froze.

"Come again?" He asked, his fists clenching slightly.

"Zed, I, double-L, U, M, Zillum, tall reptilian, God-complex, slight asshole," Alex said.

"So..." Caesarius began, his expression turning dark. "He's here as well?"

Jack nodded. "He cut off my arm."

Caesarius nodded. "That sounds correct."

He took a deep breath. "You escaped him?"

Jack nodded again. "I fought him and beat him once as well."

Caesarius blinked, and looked between them. "Is that true?" He asked Alex.

"So he tells me. I only missed the fight because I was trapped in a nanotech suit," Alex replied with a hint of sadness and regret that he could not help Jack when he was in most need.

Jack nodded.

Caesarius grinned for the first time. "Most impressive." He commented, sounding genuinely impressed. "You would have made a fine Imperial Commander, or even Phaedra if his Eminence was sufficiently impressed."

"'Imperial', you say? Jackyboy here wants to form an Empire when the war is over. He will unite humanity and end the vicious cycle of peace and war," Alex declared.

Caesarius grinned. "That is the Empire's policy. Unifying everyone under a single, omnipotent force of order..."

The other alien stirred. "Ah, Carandial." Caesarius began. "I was wondering when you'd wake up."

The other alien, who went by Carandial, sighed. "So we survived the shuttle crash I presume?"

Caesarius nodded. "I have a proposal for you..." He stopped. "What is your title, my friend?"

"Currently Grand Marshal." Jack replied, though everyone noticed the 'currently'.

"Well, so am I, but he sort of decided on my behalf, really," Alex added.

Carandial cocked a brow, before asking. "Humans?"

The question was directed at Caesarius. "Yes, but they are far more intelligent and capable then the rest of their warmongering kind." Caesarius replied.

"Grand Marshal Jack was able to not only battle, but defeat Zillum himself in single combat."

Carandial cocked a brow, before he looked at the two. "I saw the Benevolent during our...descent into the atmosphere. It actually was the ship that fired on us."

He then introduced himself officially. "Grand Admiral Carandial of the Imperial Navy."

Jack saluted. "Grand Marshal Jack Anderson of the United States Army."

"Grand Marshal Alex Pearson, also of the United States Army, which is weird because I was born in Britain, but Grand Marshal Anderson has sort of corrupted the laws of reality in this world," Alex said.

Carandial nodded, before Caesarius explained the situation to him. Carandial, after a bit, stroked his chin, and then sighed. "So we're stranded here?"

Caesarius nodded.

He turned to Jack. "I have a proposal for you, Grand Marshals."

Jack cocked a brow, before nodding for him.

"We could offer you assistance in the war against Zillum. We request command of our own fleets in your Star Navy, but we will...defer to your judgement." Caesarius offered.

Jack thought for a moment, before nodding. "Very well. I accept your proposal."

"I hope you're not going to offer a job to every alien that crash lands on this planet," Alex said.

Caesarius blinked. "Don't fear, we won't cross you. We don't have much choice anyway."

He then asked. "Also, do you know where we could find some food?"

Jack stopped for a moment. "Alex, if you want, go see Cate and Nala. I'll take it from here."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack, Kyle, Drew and Bebe were walking down the street towards one of the local restaurants. It was evening at this time, and Jack had invited the couple out for dinner.

"Jeez Drew," Kyle chuckled. "Why are you so tired all the time?" He asked after Drew yawned for the third time.

Drew knew full well why he was tired.. And it went way beyond just caring for Kenzi..

His nightly escapades as Batman were certainly taking a toll on him, and were throwing his sleep schedule out of whack! Sometimes he would come home and sleep well into the evening hours.. If he was lucky.

But even still, Drew had to keep the suspicion away.

"Oh you know how it is.." Drew spoke to Jack with a shrug. "Kids'll keep you up more than you want to.. Even besides that, it's just.. Probably a bunch of stress that keeps me up at night, if it's not Kenzi.. I can hardly sleep anymore."

Jack cocked a brow, before asking. "You alright? Maybe you should go to the doctor or something? Just to be safe."

Drew shook his head firmly.

"I don't need to see a doctor.. I'm fine." He replied.

"I dunno, Drew.. Maybe Jack is onto something." Bebe told Drew before Jack could reply. She looked him in the eye. "You look exhausted, babe.. And I thought I was tired.. That's why I had Kenzi stay at Mom's tonight, to hopefully give you a bit of a break and get back on a sleep schedule.."

A bit of silence passed, before she sighed. Drew's face was simply blank, as they continued to walk.

"I'm just worried about you.. I don't like it when you're stressed or in some sort of pain.. I want to help you.." Bebe added.

Drew sighed this time. As always, he felt a little guilty for keeping this from everyone, but it had to be done! It had to be done to ensure not only his own safety, but his friends and family's safety as well..

"I know, Bebe.. I know." Drew softly spoke. "And thank you. But.. I promise, I'll be fine. I.." He faded off, yawning once more. "Oh, hell.."

Jack chuckled. "We warned you."

Bebe gave Jack a bit of a stern look. She was clearly really worried about him at the moment.

Jack chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Kyle was about to reply, before a soldier approached the group.

"General?" He asked, looking a bit nervous.

Jack cocked a brow. "Yes soldier?"

"We...found...you better come see this." He stuttered, motioning for the group to follow him.

Jack and Kyle looked to each other, a bit confused, before they did so.

When the group got there, they noticed a doctor was waiting for them.

"General Anderson." He began. "We discovered a little girl on the edge of town. She suffered extensive injuries, but when we tried to ask who her parents were, she refused to tell us, and...we suspect she was being abused."

Jack's eyes widened, as did Kyle's.

Bebe's reaction was very similar to Jack and Kyle's. However on the other end, Drew's 'Batman' instincts immediately kicked in, and he gave a minor scowl. He began to immediately think of when and where he could begin his search for these abusers, should their location not be known sometime soon.. He's dealt with abuse personally most of his childhood, and he treats these matters as so..

"That's not all. Blood tests revealed...an exact genetic match to...you Mr. Broflovski. However, she is only eight years old. She also had this strange, energy signature that we found...in the areas the lions and the two newcomers you found arrived in. We suspect she is from...a parallel timeline."

Jack blinked. "Wait...what?" He asked.

'Why am I not surprised..' Drew half-sarcastically thought in his mind.

This was certainly the weirdest thing he had seen here, and that was saying something. Kyle seemed equally shocked. "And...you said she's a genetic match to me?!" He asked, not quite believing it.

Jack cocked a brow, before asking. "Are you sure?"

The doctor nodded. "We have done several tests. Same result each time."

"Why does shit like this keep happening?" Bebe asked with a shrug, her initial shock and surprise appearing to have worn off. "I can't say I'm very surprised at this point.. But, even still.. We should help that girl out.. Where is she now?" She questioned the doctor.

The doctor motioned down the hospital hall. "Room 4C."

Jack nodded, and headed down there.

When they got there, they saw a little girl who looked exactly like Kyle sitting in a bed. Same curly red hair, same green eyes. Just younger and a girl.

Kyle nearly fainted when he saw her.

Jack took a deep breath, and entered the room. "Are you alright little one?" He asked gently.

She jumped a bit, and looked at him. "Um…yes sir." She said softly.

Kyle stopped, and waited outside the door, motioning for Drew and Bebe to go in first. "I need to think about this a bit." He told them.

They both nodded in understanding before entering the room. They caught a glimpse at the girl as they first entered, and sure enough, she looked almost identical to Kyle! Minus the age and gender differences..

"My God.." Bebe whispered to Drew. "Carbon clone.."

Drew nodded slightly, his mouth hanging open a little bit.

"Yes.." He replied softly, as the two walked closer. "She is, isn't she?.."

The little girl looked at the two newcomers, before her eyes widened when she recognized Bebe.

"Wait...Bebe?!" She gasped.

Jack blinked, realizing maybe he and Drew should have told her about this a bit before people she'd recognize joined them.

Bebe walked over to the bed she was laying in and knelt down to her level, her face full of surprise. Both Bebe and the girl's mouths hung agape.

"You- You know me?.." Bebe asked the girl.

The girl nodded. "Well...you were my classmate! You know, Mr. Garrison's class? What happened to you?! Why are all these soldiers here? What happened to South Park?!"

Jack sighed, and asked her. "What is your name?"

"Kyle-Kylie sir."

Jack nodded, before he looked to the others, silently asking if he should explain it to her?

Bebe immediately nodded, clearly seeing this 'Kylie' was in a lot of distress. Drew looked between Bebe and Kylie, before he nodded his head as well, deciding not to say a word.

Jack took a deep breath, and began to explain it. "Kylie, what year was it when you left?"

"What do you mean? It's 2009." She declared, clearly believing it. She stopped when she noticed everyone's look. Her eyes widened as she put two and two together.

"Is…is this the future?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, but it...is also a different...version of the world you lived in."

Kylie blinked, before looking down, absorbing all the information.

It was at that moment, that Kyle had pulled himself together, and walked in.

Kylie looked up at him, and their eyes met.

She blinked, and looked down, her mouth agape. Then, she asked suddenly. "Wait..are my parents here in this...timeline to?"

Jack froze, as did everyone in the room.

Kyle noticed the fear in her eyes when she asked that.

He took a deep breath, and asked her. "Kylie..." he began. "Did they hurt you?"

Kylie hesitated, before Drew finally spoke, saying reassuringly,

"You're in a safe place now.. Whoever hurt you before, they can't get to you anymore.. We'll make sure of that.."

She looked at Drew for a moment, before she nodded.

Kyle took a deep breath. "He's right. We won't let them, or anyone hurt you."

Kylie brightened up a bit, before she giggled and replied.

"Thank you, older me."

Jack and Kyle chuckled at that. "You're most welcome, little me." Kyle replied.

Jack thought for a moment, before he got an idea. He turned to the others, and said. "Hey guys, could I talk to you outside for a moment?"

They all cocked a brow, but nodded. As the group headed outside, Jack sighed, and asked. "Kyle, perhaps we could adopt her? Like we did with Amelia and Simba?"

Kyle was a little surprised by that, but he thought for a moment, before he smiled. "You sure you want to deal with two of me?"

Jack chuckled humorously. "Yeah, you might be right…I would never win any arguments."

'And I thought having ONE kid was rough..' Drew thought. 'These two are adopting kids left and right! I don't know how they do it..'

Jack looked at Drew and Bebe. "I have a quick question, guys? Do you think we should go through with this?" He asked seriously.

"Well.." Bebe began, looking back towards the room. "It would obviously be a massive responsibility and will impact Kyle- Kylie's life.. But I mean, you kinda know that, already.." She shrugged.

"I say as long as she's accepting of such an idea, what's the harm? She doesn't seem to have anywhere else to go.." Bebe finished.

Drew said nothing, instead giving a shrug that seemed to say, 'what she said'.

Jack took a deep breath, and asked Kyle. "You okay with this?"

Kyle nodded.

Jack took a deep breath, and walked back in. "Kylie?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes sir?"

He chuckled. "No need to be formal."

He took a deep breath, and asked. "If you want, your older self and I could...take care of you. We won't let anyone hurt you, and we'd be more than happy to have you as part of our family."

Kylie looked at him for a second, and then to Kyle, and then back to Jack.

She then asked. "Could I call you daddy?" She asked Jack.

Jack grinned, and replied. "Of course."

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The group was heading out of the hospital, and Kylie seemed to be feeling a bit better. She had begun to ask a few questions about South Park and how it had changed or was different to the one she was from.

"Wait, so you're saying fatass started a war?!" Kylie asked. She knew Cartman was that evil and crazy, but not that level!

Kyle nodded. "Yes, unfortunately." He sighed.

Kylie looked to Bebe and asked. "So...what else has changed if I may ask?"

Bebe looked down to Kylie and sighed.

"Besides the constant warfare? There's.. even more strange happenings that's occurred as of recently.. There's these devices called 'Replicators' that can practically make anything appear before your very eyes, somehow! They've been a major part in this whole process.. There's been animals and even people coming here from portals of some sort, which is probably where you came from."

Bebe took a deep breath, before continuing on her lengthy explanation.

"Hmm.. Let's see.. Oh! There's this man who dresses up as a giant bat for some reason.. He's a vigilante. Saved Jack's life a couple times from what I heard. Still weird, though." She laughed at the end.

Kylie chuckled, before her older self picked up his phone. "Hey Stan."

He cocked a brow. "Wow sure! Tell your mom thanks for us!"

He laughed a bit, before adding. "We'll be there in a bit."

Kyle turned. "Stan wanted to say that Mrs. Marsh invited us to a barbecue. You guys want to go?"

Jack grinned. "Why not?" He chuckled.

"Barbecue?" Drew said aloud, grinning slightly. "Now that I can get behind.. You know how long it's been since I've been to one of those?"

Jack grinned. "Agreed on that! My family and I had a lot back in California."

Kylie was about to ask something, but Kyle beat her to it. "How will we explain Kylie to them?" He asked.

Silence for a few moments…

"What if we we're upfront, and just tell them what happened?" Drew suggested anticlimactically. "I mean, considering all that's happened, would this really come as a long term shock? I know I say that a lot, but honestly, it's true."

Jack took a deep breath. "Alright. Hell, you might be right, Drew. So much has happened here over the past two months that I doubt this will really surprise them."

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The group walked up to Stan's porch. Jimbo and Ned's car was in the driveway in addition to the Marsh's cars.

Kyle took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. Kylie held Kyle's hand, a bit nervous. Stan opened the door after a bit of time went by, with a grin.

"Hey, dud-" Stan immediately cut himself off when he saw Kylie's nervous expression, and her holding onto Kyle.

He stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"Uh.. Kenny!?" Stan called to his friend, who was sitting in the living room. Kenny walked over to Stan with a sigh, getting up off the couch.

"What is it, dude?" Kenny questioned, before he saw where Stan was pointing.

Kenny's gaze immediately locked onto Kylie, in a stunned silence. No one spoke or moved for a good several seconds.

"Umm.." Kenny began. "Kyle, who is this?.."

Kyle took a deep breath, and said. "She came from an alternate timeline. Her name is Kylie Broflovski."

"Alternate timeline.." Kenny repeated, throwing his hands up in the air. "Well of course it was.."

Stan sighed once more, before he looked at Kylie with a slight grin.

"Hey.. Kylie." He emphasized. "I'm Stan.. Do you know who I am?"

She grinned. "Yeah, we were super best friends. Well, we were in my timeline."

"Except now it's all weird because we're like.." He motioned to Kenny, referring to his height. "a lot older and taller now, huh?"

She shrugged. "Eh..."

Jack asked Stan. "Come on, a lot weirder stuff has happened the last two months alone."

"You're damn right it has!" Kenny butted in. "I almost got my ass chomped off by a croc that came from a portal just last-" He over-exaggerated, before he got cut off.

"It was ten feet away!" Jack groaned. "And you would just come back!"

Everyone besides Kenny looked at Jack like he was insane. Jack shrugged, before glaring at Kenny.

Kenny ignored him, and instead looked down at Kylie. His demeanor almost immediately changed. He went from a complaining mood, to a more soft and reassuring one.

"It's good to meet you, Kylie.. Hope you have a good time here. Randy, Jimbo, and Ned are grilling out back. They make some kick ass burgers, if you can remember that from your timeline." He chuckled.

Kylie lit up. "Heck yeah I do!"

As the group walked in, they saw Shelley and Sharon were on the couch nearby, watching some sort of documentary that was on.

However, it wasn't just any old documentary. Drew immediately widened his eyes slightly and perked up when he saw it was on the history of The Beatles. They had always been his favorite band for the longest time. Their music was one thing, but their impact and history was something else entirely..

"Good evening Mrs. Marsh." Kyle said with a grin.

Sharon Marsh, Stan and Shelley's mother, and wife of Randy Marsh, turned around with a grin of her own.

"Oh, hey there, Kyle! Glad you and your friends could make it." She then looked at Kylie, going a bit wide eyed. "And who do we have here? She looks a lot like you, Kyle.."

Shelley growled. "I'm trying to watch the documentary, turds!"

Kylie blinked. "Some things never change..."

Jack proceeded to explain the situation as best as he could, by the end of it, Sharon was rubbing her head, having a hard time fully processing it right away. She had seen and heard all of what was going on, but it was mostly from the news. She tried avoiding most of it as possible.

"That's.. quite something.." Was all Sharon could say in response.

Kylie smiled sheepishly. "Is...Mr. Marsh still...the same as I remember him?"

"Well.." Sharon began, as she looked towards the outside window where Randy, Jimbo, and Ned were grilling.

Randy appeared to have his pants down and put his ass up onto the grill, which caused him to scream and roll on the ground. Jimbo and Ned laughed at him, as it looked like they dared him to do it.

Sharon sighed.

"Yeah.. Pretty much.."

Kylie nodded, before Stan decided to interject.

"Hey, guess that means we're gonna have 'ass-burgers'!" Stan was the only one to laugh at his bad joke.

Silence filled the room.

"What?" Stan asked.

"Yep, that's Stan." Kylie whispered to Kyle, who nodded in agreement.

Kenny shook his head in response.

"Dude, that joke was shit.." He then shrugged. "But true, I guess.. Can't complain, though.. They always end up good."

"Thank you, by the way." Jack said to Sharon.

"Yeah, thanks.." Drew smiled.

"No problem." She replied with a smile. "It's good to have company over every now and then. Especially in times like these.."

Jack nodded, before he took a deep breath. "Hopefully, times like these won't last much longer."

Kyle looked at Jack, noticing the graveness and determination in his voice. Jack had gone to more meetings than usual lately. Did that mean that he was planning what everyone hoped would be the decisive battle of the war…?

"Let us hope so.." Drew replied, catching onto Jack's tone. Hopefully with this war behind them, peace would begin to settle in more. Maybe then he wouldn't need to be Batman as much. Maybe he could be with his family more, and wouldn't have to live under a lie!

He hoped that more than anything..

Stan cocked a brow when he heard Jack's tone. As a general in the army, he did have access to all this information, but had kept his mouth shut. He knew what Jack was referring to. But he didn't expect it to be so soon.

Jack decided to change the subject. "Anyway, let's focus on the good things that are going on..."

As they spoke for a bit, Randy, Jimbo and Ned walked in, Randy rubbing his ass, obviously still in pain..

"Oh! Oh.. my ass burns! I didn't expect it to be-" Randy cut himself off when he saw everyone else inside, looking at them. "Oh, uh.. Hey, guys! The food is done if you wanna have at it."

"Yeah!" Jimbo exclaimed with a grin. "Despite ole Randy burning himself on it, the burgers are the best in town."

"Best in the County." Ned corrected in his robotic voice.

Randy stopped when he noticed the little girl by Jack and Kyle who looked exactly like Kyle…

"OH-AGHHH!" Randy yelled in surprise, falling back onto the stove, which just so happened to still be on. "AGHH!" He yelled once more. "MY ASS!"

Randy began to roll on the ground overdramatically in pain, as Sharon simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Randy.. Will you stand up? It's rude to act that way in front of the company.."

Randy sat up slightly, now beginning to rub his butt up against the counter, as he pointed at Kylie, his hand twitching slightly.

"Sh- Sharon!" Randy yelled. "The member berries! They've grown poisonous! I'm traveling back in time! I'm seeing some weird shit right now! Oh mah God!" He screamed in fear, overdramatically thinking he was hallucinating.

This earned another sigh from Sharon.

"Um, you're not the only one Randy..." Jimbo muttered, blinking in surprise.

Randy grabbed Jimbo by the shirt.

"Did you eat my member berries!?" He questioned, freaking out.

"No! Randy! And what about the time you stole my cigarettes! You know I love Marlboro!" Jimbo yelled back, shoving Randy back a bit.

Randy turned back towards Kylie, breathing a bit heavily.

"Dad! Calm down! This is Kylie.. She's from another universe. We can explain everythi-" Stan began, before Randy cut him off.

"Another universe!?" He shook his head. "I have really got to stop taking those things.."

"Member Berries are still a thing?" Kylie asked. She honestly thought that the Member Berry fad would die down after a few months at most.

"Uh, yeah!" Randy said. "They're only the coolest things ever! Well, until now I guess.. I think they've gone bad."

Jack blinked. "Anyway..."

He then asked Randy. "So, you're saying these are the best burgers in town?"

"Yep!" Randy said with a proud grin. "Come on out guys. They just got done!"

As the group got their food and sat down in the backyard, Kyle asked. "So, how are things going Stan? What's it like being on Leave for a bit?"

"I gotta say," He began with a slight grin. "it's a bit refreshing! A lot more peaceful for a change.. Now I can focus on my personal life a bit more! Like, I was thinking of maybe contacting Wendy like we talked about before, and-" He cut himself off, when he saw a nervous, somewhat guilty look on Kyle's face.

"What?.." Stan asked him, growing slightly nervous. "Is something wrong?"

Kyle shook his head, saying quickly. "Nothing. Nothing at all." He said quickly.

"Kyle.." Stan sternly said, knowing Kyle well. "I know something's wrong, dude.. What is it?"

Kyle looked to Jack, Drew and Bebe nervously. He honestly didn't know what to say right now. If he even should say anything.

Drew was the only one to speak up, quickly thinking up something on the spot.

"Wendy's just not feeling the best lately.. She's not really in the mood for anything right now, really.. I think she just needs some time to rest. She's still in that 'healing' phase of your breakup with her." He paused briefly, before finishing with a reassuring grin. "I'm confident she'll come around, soon, though.."

Everyone else, besides Stan of course, knew this to be a lie.. But how could they tell him the truth? They couldn't.. Not right now, anyways. Perhaps Wendy would even explain it to him on her own time. But right now was not the time to make Stan depressed or upset in any way, and ruin the evening.

"Oh.. Well," Stan began with a shrug of understanding. "I can give Wendy some space if she needs it. I don't mind. I understand that completely, dude." He then looked to Kyle with a smirk and added. "You could've just told me.. I wouldn't have been upset."

Kyle nodded sheepishly. "I know, sorry."

Kylie cocked a brow slightly. She remembered how often Stan and Wendy had gotten together and then broken up as kids. She didn't think that this endless cycle would go on to the end of of High School, but then again…

She shrugged, and began to eat her burger.

Drew looked at Kyle and gave a slight nod that seemed to say, 'you're welcome'.

Kyle nodded back, with the same somewhat relieved look still on his face.

"So...you've broken up with this Wendy girl how many times, Stan?" Jimbo asked.

Everyone seemed to either facepalm or sit there in shock.

"Oh, fuck.. Here we go.." Bebe muttered just above a whisper to herself. She was slightly nervous of what the outcome of this would be.

Stan cocked a brow, maintaining a more defensive expression.

"That.. That doesn't matter, Uncle Jimbo! This time'll be different! This time will-" He was cut off.

"Maybe you should at least think about dating another girl?" Jimbo suggested.

Stan dropped his fork roughly on his plate, attaining a scowl on his face.

"Out of the question!" Stan firmly said. "Wendy is my soulmate! We've loved each other since fourth grade! We've just had.. some bumps in the road! That's all!"

"Y'know he's kinda right, Stanley.." Sharon butted in. "I mean, how many times is that girl gonna break your heart? I don't like seeing my baby hurt.."

Bebe simply cleared her throat and tried to continue eating. She had her own opinions on the matter, but she clearly knew that their was bound to be bias on both sides.. From a mother's perspective, it made sense..

"No he's not! He's wrong!" Stan yelled, standing up. "You're wrong! Wendy is amazing. We've worked out our differences now! Why can't you guys just fucking see that!?"

Even though Stan was close to adulthood, he was still a teenager. And sometimes those hormones and testosterone cause men his age to get upset at things that mean a lot to them.

"Stan-" Kyle began, before he was cut off.

"No!" Stan motioned with his hand to silence Kyle. "They need to hear this!" He turned back to his family. "You guys have doubted Wendy for so long! And yes.. I can see why you would. She's done some things that were fucked up. But you know what? So have I! People change! I changed! She's changed now!" He shook his head. "How you people can't see that is way beyond me.."

"Stan, calm down." Jack ordered firmly.

Stan turned around angrily. He was beginning to reach the boiling point due to his emotions and hormones.

"Fuck off, dude!" Stan yelled. "You can't just come into my house and tell me when to calm down! I had something I had to say!" He looked at everyone. "I thought maybe we could all have a nice evening and have a barbecue.. But I guess I was mistaken!"

"Don't talk to Jack like that!" Kyle snapped, catching everyone off guard. "He's just trying to help! You're being irrational and taking things too far!"

Everyone in the room was silent. Stan had a stunned look on his face, his eyes widened slightly. He eventually shook his head and snapped out of it, saying surprisingly softly,

"Then get out.."

Kyle stood up, and began to walk out, not looking back.

Kylie followed after her older self, looking a little scared of Stan. Jack was the last to leave. He sent a disappointed look in Stan's direction, before he too finally got up to leave.

Drew sighed in what could only be summed up as disappointment. He wasn't about to argue with Stan.. It would only make matters worse. Some arguments were simply futile right from the beginning. This was one of them..

"Head on outside, Bebe.." Drew softly told her. "I'll be out in a bit."

Bebe nodded in understanding. She wanted more than anything to just be away from this situation.. As she headed outside behind Jack, Kyle, and Kylie, Drew stood up out of his chair.

He looked at Stan's family and simply said with a grin,

"Thank you for the food, Randy.. Jimbo. Ned." He then looked to Sharon. "And thanks for having us."

They all nodded, still a little taken aback by Stan's anger. They waved goodbye and Sharon said,

"Bye, Drew.. You all be safe now. Supposed to get cold.." The nervousness and shock in her voice was still clear as day.

Drew figured it was about time to be on his way.

"Oh," He remembered. "and see ya, Shelley."

Shelley waved as well, feeling the same way as the rest of her family. She always used to be the aggressor and the angry one.. But seeing Stan this way for once? It was shocking..

He mentioned and thanked everyone in Stan's family, minus Stan himself.. Which didn't really matter that much.. He wasn't about to spark anything else, somehow. Drew always just found it polite to thank the hosts for having them over for events. It's how it always was for him in the rare instance that he would be invited anywhere, during his childhood..

As Drew exited, Kenny's shock wore off and he began to approach Stan. Drew didn't get to hear exactly what Kenny said, but he assumed it was just another attempt at getting him to calm down.

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Jack, Kyle, Kylie, Drew, and Bebe were stopped just as they approached their cars, when a soldier rushed towards them. "General! Cartman is on the attack! They're moving with everything they have!"

Jack's eyes widened, before he replied firmly. "Assemble the troops! Move now!"

He turned to the others, and caught different reactions from them; Bebe just looked concerned about getting home, and Drew looked concerned about getting her home.. There was no real fear for themselves in either of their eyes, but there was the worry for what could happen to Kenzi if Cartman's forces made it to the part of town where Bebe's mom lived.

Kyle and Kylie both looked at him with concern, while Kylie even had a bit of fear.

Jack took a deep breath, and said softly. "Drew, I need you to keep them safe."

Before Drew could reply, Jack turned and rushed towards the front. Overhead the forms of Star Destroyers filled the sky, exchanging fire with each other. In the distance, the thunder of artillery filled their ears.

As everyone else listened to the sounds of war in horror, Drew calmly looked at them, not seeming fazed at all.

"You're all coming home with me.. It's too dangerous out here! My apartment is just outside of town, which isn't their main target. We'll be safe there." Drew explained to them.

Kyle responded quickly and fearfully. "And what about Amelia and Simba? They're with Alex and-" he was cut off.

"We'll get them on the way.." Drew said. "Me and Bebe aren't about to let Kenzi and her mom stay where they're at either.. But we'll have to hurry!"

Kyle nodded, but Drew could still tell how scared he was. Not for himself, but for his other two children. But he did his best to put on a determined expression, and compose himself.

Bebe felt a tear run down her cheek in sadness, looking on in the distance at the town. She could see smoke rising up in the sky, which no doubt had come from an explosion of some sort..

"What's happened to our town?.." Bebe questioned softly in sadness. "What's happened to South Park?.. It used to be our quiet, little mountain town.. Sure, it sucked every now and then, but it's always been our home.. And now… this!" She motioned in the distance at all the destruction that was being caused.

Bebe now broke down into tears, hugging Drew tightly. She always did love this place, even if it did gain a bad reputation over the years.. Drew returned the hug and comforted her the best he could.

"I know, Bebe.. I know.." He softly spoke as she cried into his shoulder. He stared at the warfare as well, a scowl on his face.

They would pay! They all would! All who started this war would get what they deserved, one way or another..

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"I'm scared Uncle Alex..." Amelia whimpered. The battle was not to far off. A shell had landed in a nearby house already.

"It's going to be okay, Amelia. You're going to be safe while your dad and I fight off those mean-faces," Alex assured Amelia.

They heard a car pull up not too far away, and saw it was Drew, along with Jack's family and...a little red haired girl that looked exactly like Kyle.

Alex briefly pointed in curiosity before he waved the matter off. "Y'know what? I'm not really surprised, and we've got more important matters at hand," he said as he approached the car with the others.

Amelia rushed up to Kyle, followed by Simba. "Is dad okay?" She asked.

Kyle nodded. "Your dad's just fine. Come on, we're getting everybody to safety."

"Cate," Alex said as she was walking past him. She turned to face him, and he saw unadulterated fear in her eyes.

"I'm scared, Alex. I don't want to lose you. If you were to die, I would lose meaning to my life," she admitted.

Alex smiled slightly before he kissed her hand. "I promise you, I'm not going to leave you, as long as we both hope that good will prevail," he declared. "I love you more than anything," he added. Cate then embraced Alex with a tight hug and a passionate kiss.

"Farewell, my love," Cate said with a smile.

"Alex."

Alex saw it was Jack on the Communicator.

"You ready to finish this once and for all?" The voice of his friend asked.

"You can bet on it!" Alex replied as he tapped his arc reactor, and millions of microscopic nanobots enveloped around his body, and they formed a version of the Iron Man Mark L suit with a blue, white and chrome colour scheme. He engaged the thrusters and took off to where Jack was.

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Jack rushed out of the town, and to the front line. Already, the two armies were engaging, however, Jack noticed that Cartman's army was much smaller, because he didn't have the ability to reinforce his forces. In fact, their attack had largely broken down, and was bogging down into a slogfest as they tried to hold what ground they had gained. Overhead, Thrawn, as well as fleets under Caesarius and Carandial had formed a protective ring around the town, shielding it from the bombing attacks that had occurred earlier.

Jack blocked a bullet with his lightsaber, before he heard something that sounded like a jet engine. Everyone looked up to the sky, and from the west came an unidentifiable object due to the dazzling sunlight. However, soon enough, they saw the blue and white suit.

It was Alex.

He descended and assumed a 'superhero landing' pose as he landed in front of Cartman's troops. When he stood up, he merely stood there, his suit deflecting the hail of bullets. Alex walked towards the troops and when he could reach, he simply punched several enemy soldiers in the torso, sending them flying several feet in the air. When he had incapacitated the soldiers within range, he resorted to his repulsor, which he used to kill several individual soldiers. Such was the composition of the suit, which included the energy-absorbing vibranium, Alex used the accumulated energy harvested by the bullets to punch the ground, causing a great wave of energy to send hundreds of Nazis to the floor.

Jack grinned, before turning to his men, and yelling. "FORWARD! WITH US MEN! TO VICTORY!"

The soldiers cheered, and the army surged forward.

Jack turned to Alex, and grinned, before the pair led the charge into the very center of Cartman's lines.

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The others had finally reached Drew's apartment. From here, they were relatively safe from the battle. While there was the occasional scream of enemy fighter jets, no bombs were dropped, thanks to the Star Destroyer that guarded the area.

All three of their kids were huddled by Kyle, who was trying his best not to break down himself from the stress. He was absolutely terrified right now. Not just for himself, but for his kids and his fiancé.

Drew simply sat down on the couch next to Bebe, who was now holding Kenzi in her arms, and Bebe's mom. They had stopped by their house to pick them up, and brought them to safety here. None of them were about to leave them behind!

Drew was beginning to feel this sort of.. itch kind of feeling.. Not an actual itch, but more like this feeling that wouldn't go away! He knew exactly what it was: he wanted to be Batman, and he wanted to help end this war once and for all! He wanted to make sure it was truly over!

However, he had made a promise to Jack that he would keep his family safe, and Drew made a promise to himself that he would protect his own.. So becoming Batman was well off the table. Besides, even if he didn't have this obligation, they were all sitting down in the same spot: the living room! It would be suspicious of he were to leave now..

Looked like staying put was going to be the way to go, here..

"Daddy?" Adia asked Drew, nuzzling his leg with her head to get his attention. "W- Why is everyone so sad?.."

Drew looked down at the lioness cub with saddened eyes. Adia had grown up a little bit more than she was before, but was still by no means big at all.

"Well.." Drew began softly. "There's a bunch of bad men doing bad things, and your Uncle Jack and Uncle Alex are out taking care of those bad men.. Everyone's just a little worried about them, that's all.. Everything'll be fine, Adia." He ended with the best grin he could muster.

Adia smiled weakly. She didn't like how everyone was sad, but now she at least understand it a bit more..

"Okay, Daddy." Adia said, beginning to turn around and head towards Nzuri, who was laying down in a special bed made for her that had come from the Replicator.

Drew sighed in stress and held his head in slight pain, starting to get a headache. He just hated seeing someone as innocent and sweet as Adia start to be stressed out over whether or not everyone was okay.. She didn't deserve to grow up in a shitty environment such as this! No one here did!

This war was out of control! At least soon, it would hopefully be over..

Then he saw something else. Out of the window, he saw that the enemy ships were retreating! They were running!

Then, out of nowhere, a storm of lasers fired from Jack's ships, and within a matter of seconds, almost every enemy ship was cut to pieces by laser fire, with one ship's gutted hulk remaining intact and crashing to Earth about fifteen miles away! The last enemy ship had escaped, but by the looks of it, a part of the battle had been won.

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"Push on!"

That was the order. That was the goal. That was the path to victory.

Jack ran at the head of his troops, cutting and gunning down every enemy soldier he could, while his troops followed after him.

They had pierced the enemy line, and were now advancing as far as they could trying to kill as many of their opponents as they could. And they were.

Cartman's army was collapsing. That much was obvious. But they were still encountering stiff resistance in some areas, particularly high ground, across creeks, and in the forests. They were taking heavy casualties.

Indeed, far from the easy advance he had been expecting, Jack's troops were starting to falter amidst the resistance of a rejuvenated enemy.

But then, one by one, the enemy lines gave in to the pressure and broke The Star Destroyers, artillery and aircraft were enough to force the way forward.

And slowly, and surely, they took back the ground. Inch by inch through the bloodstained snow, the bombed out forests and shattered hills they moved.

Then, he received the news he wanted. The enemy flanks had finally turned, and the forward units of his forces had met up behind the enemy.

They had encircled them. Slowly the fighting continued, and by now, the ground was covered in corpses. But the die had been cast.

Soon the enemy's forces, arranged in a circle between the allied lines, gave way. The circle was soon cut into smaller and smaller focal points of resistance, and then even further into tiny slivers of troops making their last stand.

He continued to fight, swinging his saber again and again and again. He cut down more troops than he could even hope to count. And as he fought his way through the red thickets and up the cratered hills and ridges, it became routine.

The area to the northeast of South Park was unrecognizable, a field of destruction over fifteen miles long and twenty miles wide.

Then, as he cut down a soldier, the guns fell silent. He hadn't paid much attention, but slowly, he realized that the lessening of the noise was the sound of the battle winding down. And now, the very last point of enemy resistance had been crushed…

He stopped for a moment, not quite realizing what had just happened.

For a few tense seconds, maybe even minutes, he stood there, before he heard something that he didn't expect.

The gentle singing of a bird.

Slowly, nature began to resume its activities, and he began to notice the gentle, if cool breeze, the running of the water in the nearby creek, and the songs of the birds.

He looked up, and saw a clear blue sky, beneath which were the great snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

He smiled.

It was an alien feeling, after hours of this bloodbath. But it felt good.

He noticed a small butterfly flying around him. His smile widened, and he held up his hand gently, upon which the little insect landed.

He heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and when he turned, he noticed it was Lee, Vader, and Caesarius, all three of whom(well, he guessed Vader was smiling at least) were grinning.

Jack chuckled, before he was stunned when Lee saluted him. Caesarius followed, while Vader simply nodded calmly.

"It's over. We won..." Jack said softly.

"Yes..." Caesarius began, before he walked forward.

He pulled up a holographic map on his communicator, and declared. "We have twenty eight Star Destroyers. Let us use them to force an end to this war."

Jack cocked a brow, realizing where this was going.

"Send them to Berlin, Richmond, Beijing, Tehran, Moscow, Pyongyang and Cairo." Jack replied simply.

He turned serious. "Limit collateral damage. But end this war."

The three nodded, before Vader received a communication. "We have a report of one enemy soldier escaping into the town. Shall we send a detachment to apprehend him?" Pickett asked.

"No." Jack said simply. He knew who it was.

One final showdown was about to occur.

He took a deep breath, and declared. "I'll deal with this."

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Cartman ran towards Drew's house. He may have lost, but he would at least take everything Jack loved with him.

Fueled by irrational, insane rage, he didn't notice the burning pain in his legs as he ran to the other side of town. He would have his revenge.

He finally saw it, but as he caught his breath, and prepared to attack, he heard him yell from behind him.

"This ends NOW!"

He turned, and saw Jack approaching him.

Cartman activated his lightsaber right away, which glowed a blood red, the heat clearly radiating off of it. He was wasting no time this time! He knew it was do or die!

"You're right!" Cartman yelled. "This does end now! Bring it, pussy!"

Jack leapt into the air, and the two immediately began a vicious duel.

The commotion shook everyone in Drew's house, and virtually everyone within the area, from their thoughts, and when Drew saw a crowd gathering around the combatants, he muttered,

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me.."

He stepped away from the window, everyone else staring at him in anticipation.

"Well, what is it? What did you see, Drew?" Bebe's mom asked him. Drew faced her, but addressed everyone,

"Jack and Cartman are finally settling the score it sounds like.. I know those sounds from anywhere.. Pure lightsabers clashing. It's time.."

Kyle's eyes widened, and without another word he bolted out of Drew's house, and watched in hopeful anticipation. Kylie, Amelia, Simba, Cate and Nala followed close behind him.

"Come on, Jack..." Kyle whispered softly.

Drew hesitated at the doorway, as he was going to watch their final battle as well. He turned back to see Bebe still holding a whining Kenzi, trying to get her to sleep.

"I'll be fine, Drew.. I'll stay in here with Mom. You go on ahead." Bebe told him with a slight smile. Drew gave a smile in return and nodded, walking outside the door, and shutting it behind him.

The final battle between Jack and Cartman had just begun..

Jack continued to fight with ferocity, but he also seemed to be in perfect control of himself, while Cartman's strikes were erratic and sloppy, and, while powerful, were guided and determined by sheer rage and desperation.

For at least ten full minutes they fought, before the two both attempted to force push each other at the same time, causing both to fly backwards, both dropping their lightsabers.

Jack looked up, and rushed towards his lightsaber. Cartman did the same. They grabbed them at the same time, and Jack had just a millisecond to block Cartman's strike. But he was in a bad position. He was still crouched slightly, and Cartman was slowly pushing the blade down towards him.

Then, Jack noticed something. Cartman's feet were positioned poorly, and if he was knocked off balance, he might fall down, or at least be forced back.

Jack sent a force push in his direction, and Cartman stumbled backwards.

That was all the time Jack needed.

He lunged forward and rained down a series of vicious strikes against Cartman. Slowly, he pulverized his opponent's defenses, and then, finally, the blade found its mark.

Jack had cut Cartman's arm off and then buried his lightsaber in his opponent's very heart. For a final moment, their eyes locked. Cartman knew he was doomed.

"Agh, f- f- fuck.." He looked up at Jack, the hate never seeming to fade from his eyes. He had a bad stutter due to the shock and trauma his body was currently going through. "Looks like y- you got lucky after all, f- faggot.."

Jack didn't flinch, he only deactivated his lightsaber, and allowed Cartman's body to fall to the ground. He was gone.

Jack looked over the faces of the nearby townspeople, and recognized several faces; Craig, Tweek, Butters, Heidi, Mr. Garrison, PC Principal, Mr. Mackey, and so many others.

"Holy jeez.." Mr. Garrison said aloud. "The fat kid's finally dead?" He then shrugged and spoke to everybody, "I gotta admit I thought it'd happen sooner, but anyway.."

Jack took a deep breath, and said into the communicator. "The battle is won."

He turned in the direction of Drew's house, and saw his friends there. Even Alex had arrived.

The looks on their faces were ones of relief, contentedness and peace.

He smiled a bit, and said. "Drew? Alex?"

Alex chuckled slightly. "I… I can't believe it's actually over! I dreamed of nothing else for weeks, but now that it's actually happened, I… I don't know what to say, but I will start with congratulations and thank you, Jack, for not giving up hope, for staying true and for leading us to victory," he said.

Jack sighed. "It's not over yet. Close, but not quite over."

He then added. "But I couldn't have done it without either of you guys. Without either of my brothers."

"And let us not forget our significant others, who each provided inspiration and reason to fight with everything we had," Alex declared before he walked over to Cate and embraced her.

Bebe did the same with Drew, a newfound expression of relief and peace on her face.

"It's over, babe!" Bebe energetically said to Drew. "It's finally over.. Now maybe our town can go back to what it used to be!"

They hugged each other tightly, kissing each other passionately. Once they pulled away, Drew set his sights on a certain other person in the crowd he had his mind on: Mr. Garrison..

He narrowed his eyes with a scowl. Drew remembered full well what Gerald had told him! Mr. Garrison and Mr. Slave had something to do with raping Kyle as well, among probably many others in South Park!

He, or should he say Batman, would question him later.. For now, they simply enjoyed the moment of peace, which inevitably wouldn't last forever. There would always be something that disturbs the peace, and that's where Batman has vowed to step in!

He would restore order, and would make this town, hopefully even the world a better place..

As the group expressed their feelings of relief, Jack's eyes fell on one person in particular.

Blue eyes met green as Jack saw Kyle rush towards him. Jack smiled, and as Kyle hugged him tightly, he felt an overwhelming joy burn in him.

"I love you." Jack whispered gently.

"Can we start planning our wedding?" Kyle asked, looking at him with a smile.

Jack stopped, remembering the proposal. He smiled, and turned to Alex, and asked, "would you be my best man?"

"I would be honoured!" Alex replied with a grateful and happy smile.

Jack nodded in thanks, before he noticed his kids approaching.

He smiled, and greeted each of them with a hug. "Daddy! I'm so glad you're okay!" Amelia declared.

"That was amazing dad! You showed him!" Simba laughed.

Kylie hesitated, before she smiled, and walked up to him. She hugged both him and Kyle, finally feeling like she had found actual parents…

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Jack walked sat on a bench by Stark's Pond, looking over the site of the first battle of the war. The fleet and army was engaged in a final invasion of the enemy capitals, and they were making good progress. But it was not quite over yet. He was just praying he'd wake up tomorrow to the news of victory. He had come here to pay his respects for the two million dead of the war. Two million people had died in six weeks of fighting…

He was shaken from his thoughts when he noticed a familiar face had joined him by the pond. He smiled slightly. "Didn't expect to see you here, man." He told Drew.

"The war is over.." Drew said, completely bypassing Jack's comment, getting right to the point. He then turned to face him. "For now.. Zillum and Deathstroke still lurk out there, and they'll be back.. As for when, I couldn't tell you.. Just be on alert for their inevitable counter effort. We have too many innocent people to lose, among them our own families.. Be on alert.."

Jack cocked a brow, before nodding silently. He looked back towards the pond. "Don't think we won't be ready.." He replied.

"You never can be.." Drew seriously, yet vaguely commented.

Jack nodded. "The most we can do is prepare. I have no intention of letting them gain any type of advantage. That is why we're tearing down the old order and replacing it with a new one. An Empire. Strong and united. But you're right. We have to be prepared. We don't know when, but one day, they will return. And when that day comes, we can only hope we're ready. But I know one thing. They have fled to the stars. When they return, they'll be forced to fight us planet by planet to even get here. I'm not saying we're safe or infallible. But know that I am going to do my best to prepare the world for round two."

Drew stared out at the pond, the sun now beginning to set, illuminating the sky a bright orange color.

"But for now, I suppose the peace will he nice.. Like Bebe said, maybe South Park can be the same quiet, peaceful mountain town it used to be.. If only for a little while."

Jack nodded. "This is my home. More than anywhere else in this planet, or maybe soon, this galaxy. I would die to defend it."

Drew continued to stare out in the distance, and he silently muttered to himself, almost as a vow,

"So would I.."

Jack looked down for a moment. "I came out here to pay respect to the men who fought and died here. Whether replicant or natural-born. They deserve a monument to their bravery. Every one of them. All I hope is that the world remembers not me, but them."

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Alex sighed as he lay on his bed. Cate was watching the TV downstairs with Nala. The only reason that they weren't with the others was because… well, Alex wouldn't want to sit next to a murderer.

But… was he a murderer? He sure as hell killed hundreds, if not thousands of enemy soldiers, so what made his murder of Cartman different? Was it the idea that he couldn't believe in true justice that would make Cartman suffer? Yet he also thought that while Cartman was alive, he would have influenced the world to his will, no matter where he resided, be it in prison or in his own hole in which he would dwell.

And even if he did die, would that mean that there would be no backlash? What if sympathisers to Cartman would seek vengeance? He would not want for his friends to be put through further stress. They had endured enough for a generation!

Alex sighed as he looked at his Samsung Gear Watch. 13:45 was what it said. They had their own small dinner of their own, but nothing remarkable.

Alex was pulled back into the real world when he caught a glimpse of Nala walking into the room. She jumped onto the bed and went up to nuzzle Alex's hand as he stroked her.

"Hey, Nala. You okay?" Alex asked with a smile. However, it faded when he noticed her demeanor.

"Well, I could be better, I guess," she sighed, looking down slightly.

"What's the matter?" Alex asked with concern evident in his voice. He cared a great deal about Nala, and always wanted for the best to happen for her.

"It's just… I miss my family and my friends," she admitted with a sigh. "I know, Simba's my best friend in the world, but… I want to hear the voice and see the smile of my friends and family. They might not have been happy in the days that followed Mufasa's death and Simba's disappearance, but... " Nala's voice began to feel heavy as she started to produce tears from her glistening eyes. Alex simply wiped them away.

"It's okay, Nala. We're here for you. I know that for your mother to have raised such a splendid and loving daughter, she must be the type to never give up hope. For every moment of darkness, it will always be complemented by one of light. It is not possible to have one without the other, and if you live in fear of one, and anticipate the other, then that is to not truly live at all," he said.

Nala smiled slightly, but she blinked again, causing the excess tears that stung her eyes to fall down her cheek. Alex kissed her forehead as she voluntarily slumped onto her side and started purring slightly, as if she was preparing to sleep.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel more at home?" Alex asked.

Nala looked as if she was in deep thought, and she perked up when she thought of something that apparently appealed to her.

"I always like exploring caves. Could you… perhaps, make a cave with your replicator?" she asked.

Alex smiled, but this disguised his internal question. How would he make such a feature? Their garden wasn't of a considerable size, but for Nala's happiness, he would do anything.

"I'll see what I can do," Alex replied, and what he then saw brought joy to his heart. Nala gave a wide grin as she nuzzled his hand.

"Thank you, Alex," she said with pure gratitude. She continued to nuzzle his hand, until she stopped as she detected the sound of the floorboards creaking slightly. That meant Cate was coming upstairs.

"Hey, Alex. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is on if you want to watch it," Cate said as she walked through the door. She stopped when she saw Nala nuzzling her boyfriend's hand, and she gave a small smile.

"She really likes you," Cate commented. Nala turned to Cate, still bearing her smile.

"I like both of you! You gave me a home when I was afraid and alone. If it weren't for finding you, I don't know what would have happened. I owe you so much," Nala professed.

Alex shook his head. "You don't owe us anything. It was the least we could do for the future Queen of the Pride Lands," he said. Sadly, the intended impact didn't come to pass, and instead of remaining happy, Nala's smile faded slightly.

"I don't think that would happen," the cub sighed. "I want it to happen, but… I just don't think Simba likes me the way I like him," she admitted. "He sees our relationship as nothing more than friendship," Nala declared.

Cate lifted the cub's chin to face her blue eyes. "I know a boy who's in love. Simba is just very good at hiding it. If you're honest with him, he would have no choice but to be honest himself, especially to a beautiful young lioness like you," she said. Nala found her smile again.

"Thanks guys, you really know how to make me feel better, as if you were my real parents," Nala said. Alex and Cate looked at each other knowingly, but would wait for a little while longer to make their announcement.

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Alex walked through the halls of the Allied headquarters. Everyone would be there, and apparently, a number of national leaders of various nations had arrived as well. He suspected the time had come to discuss the postwar world.

He wondered how leaders of particular nations would react to Jack's proposition. He would anticipate reaction of the Commonwealth nations most of all, as most of those countries had suffered the ugly version of imperialism. Yet, he hoped that everyone would agree that the cycle of war and peace that offered false hope and prevented true progress should be ended.

When he finally entered the room, he noticed most of the Avengers, Jedi and Sith leaders, Generals, and on a podium, Jack stood. He made contact with Jack, and grinned slightly at his friend and comrade's arrival.

Alex was interrupted by the arrival of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Corbyn.

"Hello, Alex," he said warmly as he shook his hand. "You'll be glad to hear that we've decided to instigate another referendum concerning Brexit. The investigation concluded that campaigners had misled the public and campaign funds were both more than permitted and had foreign sources, and so we're putting the question back to the people. We would have unilaterally revoked Article 50, but there remains a large contingent of Brexit advocates in the Houses of Parliament," he added.

Alex smiled slightly. However, he knew that while this would seem a step in the right direction for democracy, it may well be rendered futile in the next few hours.

"That's wonderful news!" he said with a forced smile.

Another diplomat called for Jeremy's attention, leaving Alex to decide to speak with Jack.

However, at that moment, Alex heard the sound of a gavel, causing everyone to turn to Jack.

Jack took a deep breath. "Today, we mark the beginning of a new era of peace and justice on Earth."

Naturally, everyone nodded in agreement. His audience eagerly waited to hear his next words.

Jack continued. "To ensure the safety and liberties of every individual on this planet, the powers of the national governments to field their own military forces will be...revoked."

Almost everyone looked at each other in discombobulation, and others tilted their heads in confusion.

"A global, mandatory law and justice system will be created and enforced, with the rights to privacy, freedom of speech, assembly, the press, and religion being guaranteed. The national governments will be reorganized under a parliamentary system under the supervision of Continental Governors. All people living on Earth will be given full citizenship, and the right to travel anywhere in the world."

The number of faces that showed discontent only increased. However, some individuals nodded, such as the socialist UK Prime Minister.

"The United Nations will be dissolved and replaced by a Congress of Nations to pass global laws. The right to conclude formal alliances, defensive or otherwise, will be revoked. National leaders will remain in control of their own nations, so long as they accept the will of their Continental Governors."

The general consensus remained unconvinced, but with each passing minute, more and more people were in favour of Jack's idea.

"I offer you, leaders of the world, a chance for peace on Earth..." Jack hesitated for a moment. "The attempt to overthrow the world order has left us scarred and battered, but I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"

"Forgive me, Mr. Anderson," Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, interjected. "You have changed the laws of reality with your… device. You have resurrected extinct species, fabricated Gods and superhumans, spawned humans. Should you really have the power to create an empire? There are indeed individuals who have used the so-called 'Replicator' for deeds of evil, but what gives you the right to decide that you're going to make this happen?" he asked. A dull chorus of agreement followed. No bigger than the average noise of acquiescence in the House of Commons.

Jack hesitated, before he replied.

"What's done is done." He said firmly. "The old order is gone. I will take any refusal as a statement of opposition. You have one choice. Liberty, equality and unity in this Empire, or you will be removed from power by force. You must decide, peace or war?!"

Emmanuel curtly nodded in somewhat agreement.

"While I agree with your ideals, do you not believe that you should consult the people first? If you believe that your role in this war, for which we are eternally grateful, has instilled the idea that you're going to be the most important person on this planet, it is difficult for me to dismiss the idea that your Replicator has given you a God complex," Jeremy Corbyn commented.

Jack took a deep breath. "What if you had the chance to change the world?" He asked seriously. "To light the darkness so many live in. To cure Cancer and AIDS. To feed every starving child. To give every person on Earth a chance to live in safety, without fear of the crimes committed against so many people by their so-called nation-state. I have no intention of building a police state. What I am concerned about is that if we don't unite now, we never will."

He then added. "Wouldn't you want your children to grow up without fear of bombs falling on them because two presidents dislike each other? Wouldn't you want a world not ruled by a green piece of paper? We can fulfill countless dreams. We can save our planet. We can reach for the stars. I am asking for you to stand with me as we march not just to unite humanity, but to build the greatest civilization this world has ever known, a state of humanity, by humanity, and for humanity. For every race, gender, age, creed, and country. For every human being."

Jeremy nodded and simulated applause. "I fully agree with your points," he said before sitting down again.

At this point, Jack had managed to gain a small majority of support in favour of his idea.

Alex smiled. This was going as well as he had expected. Some initial concern, yet Jack's oratory abilities managed to convince the majority. However, he observed some individuals who remained unconvinced and visibly showed disagreement. He meekly raised his finger, indicating that he would try to convince the undecided, which Jack noticed.

Jack awaited Alex's words.

"Right… so, do you know what I see when I look at all of the faces in this room? I see people, who in their heart, want for their people to prosper. I see old and young, pale and dark, but what I also see is that you are all humans. And… you know, we're not different because we were born in one part of a country. We're different because we were born in different parts of the Earth. We are not… Germans, French, Italians, Americans, Chinese, Indians, we are not any of those. We… are Terrans. We are one species trying to survive on this small, little blue and green rock. We have common interests and motivators. Do you know what humanity's greatest attribute is? The ability to love. Without love, we would have not lasted for as long as we have. We would not have motivation to survive, to sacrifice, we would not evolve. We would stay where we were born, and there would be no trade, no economy. At the moment, we live in an economy that demands expansion of the market. And do you know what happens when a market reaches its full capacity? It stagnates. So what do we do then? We expand further. Oh, wait! Our internal conflict restricts our ability to see past the minute differences that are skin colour, shape of the eye, methodology of peace. While we live in this cycle of balance, we will not evolve. After three global wars, surely this system is broken? Surely this is not sustainable? The way we inflate our ideologies in an attempt to outgun each other, it harms our home. So, I urge you; if you truly want what is best for your people, for your citizens to not be bombed by Americans or persecuted by Buddhists or punished for having black skin, if you want all of this to end, Jack's way is the only way!" Alex spoke, and the response was applause.

Jack smiled, before he added. "As proof that I don't want absolute power, I hereby offer a chance for my friend, fellow general, and brother, to rule alongside me as Co-Emperors of a United Terran Empire."

Alex froze.

Alex chuckled and his face blushed slightly.

"Um… way to put me on the spot, man. I mean… of course, I'll accept. All my life, I have wanted to improve the lives of others, to create equality and prosperity that everyone could benefit from. I wanted to see the end for the need of war, hatred, injustice and discrimination, and this seems to be the only way to do so that would produce immediate results. Therefore, I hereby officially accept your offer," he declared.

Jack nodded. "I offer you a chance." He said to the people. "If you wish to not join the Empire, and you were at peace with us before the war, you will be allowed to remain independent. But you will only receive the full benefits of the Empire if you are members."

There followed a few minutes of intense conversation between the audience. Jack couldn't quite make out any particular words, but he saw that there was visible signs of agreement within the audience after a few minutes. Jack noticed someone writing on a piece of paper, and they then walked towards the podium on which he was sitting. They handed it to Grant, who read it aloud,

"The present Heads of State and Chiefs of Executives wish to pass a motion to accept the proposition of Jack Cutler Anderson to form a United Terran Empire."

The result was 195-1 in favour of the proposition.

Jack grinned. "Then today, we, a united humanity, declare ourselves one nation. The future, begins today!"

What followed was unanimous and voluminous applause. A true statement of unity.

Jack smiled, and motioned for Alex to join him on the podium. Alex walked up to the podium, nodding at the people who directed their applause at him as he walked past. He firmly shook Jeremy Corbyn's hand and said to him,

"So much for the second referendum." Jeremy chuckled at this before he allowed for Alex to join Jack at the podium.

Jack then asked Corbyn. "Would you like to preside over us taking the oath?"

"Uh, yes! Of course," the British Prime Minister grinned and he too went over to the podium.

Jack and Alex raised their hands.

"Okay, this is going to be kind of improvised, so if you see fit, feel free to change it for the future," Jeremy chuckled before he cleared his throat.

"Do you, Jack Cutler Anderson and Sir Alexander Michael Pearson, swear unto your heart and your lives to serve the people of the United Terran Empire, to act in the interest of all citizens of the Empire, to prevent the detriment of the Empire and to rule with the will of peace, love, wisdom and courage until your deaths?" he asked.

"I do swear to do as thus," Alex replied.

"I do swear to do as thus," Jack agreed.

"And do you both swear to uphold the laws of the Empire, to rule in equality and to commit no evil that is not justified?"

"I do swear to do as thus," Alex responded.

"I do swear to do as thus," Jack declared.

Corbyn nodded, and declared, "Then, by the will of humanity, I now declare you Emperors of the United Terran Empire."

Jack smiled, and getting an idea, he held his arm to his chest, and said, "Terra forever!"

"Wakanda- I mean, Terra forever!" Alex added.

The audience followed suit. "TERRA FOREVER!"

Jack looked to Alex, and smiled slightly. "Do we stand together?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"I think we do!" Alex said as he took Jack's hand.

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"Aunt Cate?" Amelia asked.

Jack and Alex's families were at Alex's house for a visit. Alex had been called by Jack to the headquarters earlier, leaving the others here to wonder what was going on.

"Yes, Amelia?" Cate answered with a gentle smile.

"Where is dad and Uncle Alex?"

"Yeah." Kylie agreed. "Where are they? They just kinda left today."

"Well, they went to New York, but they didn't tell me what they were doing exactly. All they said was that it will be on the news," Cate replied.

Kyle nodded. "I'm sure-"

The door opened suddenly. Everyone turned to see Jack and Alex walk in. Both looked quite proud of something.

"Oh, hello, Jack and Alex. How was New York? We were just talking about you," Cate said as she went to give Alex a 'welcome back' kiss.

"Well, soon enough, you won't be the only ones," Alex chuckled after he kissed her.

"How so?" Cate cocked a brow, curious as to what he meant.

Jack smiled as he kissed Kyle, before turning to his kids.

"How are the heirs of the Empire doing?" He asked all four of the kids present.

Kyle's eyes widened slightly, while Simba, Kylie and Amelia all gasped in surprise.

"Uh… could you run that by me again?" Nala asked, wondering if Jack had misspoke.

Jack looked up, to a curious Kyle and Cate, before nodding for Alex to explain.

"So… basically, Jack pitched his 'Empire' idea to the UN member states, and like everything with Jack, it happened quite suddenly. Amazingly, yet probably not surprisingly, he succeeded in convincing all the world leaders to unite under one… well, two rulers. Who are those rulers, you may ask? Only yours truly, Mr Jack Cutler Anderson and Sir Alexander Michael Pearson," Alex said.

Jack then added. "Technically there are four rulers of the world." He gestured to a thunderstruck Kyle and Cate.

Kyle blinked, before he smiled. "I...don't know what to say...I mean, ruling the world…." Kyle was speechless it seemed.

"I think it's what this world needs. There was a ruthless cycle of two wars in between moments of peace. It was clear that change was needed. But… do you think we've got what it takes to rule an entire freaking planet?" Cate asked.

Jack nodded. "Make that an interstellar civilization. We have the capacity to reach the very stars now."

He then took Kyle's hand, and asked him. "Will you rule alongside me?" He asked with a smile. "My Emperor?"

Kyle nodded. "Of course."

"What do you say, Cate, my beautiful Empress?" Alex asked as he kissed her hand.

Cate sighed. "What sort of question is that? I'm hardly going to say no!" she chuckled as she and Alex kissed again.

Jack turned to the kids. "How do you guys feel about this? This would make you prince and princesses."

Simba's eyes widened, before he smiled slightly. "Well…I Just Can't Wait to be King..." He said with a smile, reminiscing of that moment with Nala, who laughed at the reference.

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Drew, Bebe, Nzuri, Adia, and Kenzi arrived a tiny bit later than planned, but not by too much. They were late mostly because of what Drew bought with some leftover money from his first UFC fight.

Drew had went to the local music store and bought a pretty looking Fender acoustic electric guitar. If there was anything he loved more than martial arts while growing up, it was music!

"What made you decide to buy a guitar all of a sudden?" Bebe had asked him earlier with a grin. "You never even told me you played guitar!"

"I saw that Beatles documentary on at Stan's house when we went to that barbecue, and I guess I sort of just remembered how much of a MASSIVE fan I used to be of theirs." Drew answered her with a shrug. "They're the ones who GOT me into rock and roll, and also into guitar, y'know.."

Needless to say, Bebe was pretty excited to hear that, mostly because she loved The Beatles as well! She hadn't discovered them until maybe 7th or 8th grade, but ever since then, she couldn't stop listening to them!

And now a few hours later, at Jack's victory celebration, Drew and his family, as well as Caesarius were sitting in the living room talking among each other as they listened to Drew play some old songs he knew on his guitar.

There were dozens of people here, from South Park students, their parents, and family, to Jack's allies, generals, and governors. All in one place it seemed, all here because of a big announcement.

Caesarius cocked a brow slightly. "Impressive music." He mused.

"When I wake up early in the morning, lift my head.. I'm still yawning. When I'm in the middle of a dream, stay in bed.. Float upstream.." Drew sang one of his favorite Beatles songs with a genuinely delighted grin.

He nodded in response to Caesarius's comment thankfully. This was perhaps the happiest anyone had ever seen Drew, minus the day Kenzi was born. He looked as if he was truly enjoying himself!

"So...what's the big announcement anyway?" Bebe asked Caesarius curiously. Drew abruptly ceased his playing and listened in to what was to be said, so as to not cause any distractions.

"Aww.." Adia said in slight disappointment. "That sounded really good, Daddy!"

"In a minute, Adia.." Drew softly told her. "We gotta listen to what Caesarius has to say."

"Okay.." Adia nodded in understanding, laying up against Drew in a comfortable position.

Caesarius was about to reply, before everyone in the party quieted down as Jack and Alex stepped into view.

Caesarius grinned slightly. "You're about to find out."

Jack looked to Alex, silently asking if he wanted to break the news.

Alex nodded with a grin of anticipation on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, harken to my voice. I have wonderful and momentous news to tell you. We invited you to this party, but we will now reveal the subject of this gathering. While we were in New York, we made history. We officially established a United Terran Empire. Basically, me, Jack, Kyle and Cate are the Emperors and Empress of the new empire, which encompasses the entire planet!" he declared.

Drew just about dropped his guitar, widening his eyes in shock.

'They did what!? No..' Drew thought in disapproval. In his mind, while it may sound good for some, for others, they might not take the 'Empire' idea so lightly.. Bebe appeared to have the same look of disapproval, though a lot more noticeable. Nzuri simply appeared a bit confused, as she hadn't had to deal with this much back in her original home.

"Mommy, what's an 'empire'?" Adia asked Nzuri. Ever since Nzuri had cared for her after her biological mother died, Adia had called her that ever since she could talk..

Nzuri looked at Drew and Bebe's expressions, followed by looking at Adia, an expression of worry on her muzzle.

"I don't know, Adia.." Nzuri replied in a whisper. "But whatever it is, your Daddy and your human Mommy don't seem to like it.."

Jack continued, by adding. "We have met with the leaders of the world's nations, and they have agreed. As of midnight tonight, the Empire's Constitution and laws will go into effect worldwide, and the nations of the world will each elect their own representatives in a Congress of Nations. The militaries of the world will also officially be joined into one Imperial Army."

Jack hesitated, before adding. "The Imperial Capital will be Denver. No grand palace will be constructed. I will rule from my own home, and if necessary, from South Park as a whole."

"Still think Denver is a little low-key," Alex whispered his opinion to Jack, who rolled his eyes.

"No!" Bebe exclaimed, tears in her eyes. She didn't want to be seen in such a state again, so she began to simply exit the house and go outside in peace. But not before handing Kenzi over to Drew first. She didn't want the baby out in cold."No.. No, no.." She muttered on her way out.

Drew stood up to his feet, holding Kenzi gently, his eyes widening once again. He thought of going after her, but he decided to give her a minute alone.. This was probably very hard for her..

Alex grimaced slightly, surprised that Bebe would react so strongly. 

Jack blinked, surprised by the outburst. His eyes then locked with Drew, who asked a simple question,

"Why?.."

"Uh-oh," Alex mouthed. He feared an intense argument was coming.

Jack cocked a brow, before he responded. "You know why." He replied curtly.

Drew walked a bit closer to Jack, to make the conversation more direct. Drew gave a slight scowl and said,

"What you're doing.. This is crazy! Do you know how much chaos will ensue? South Park is now a direct target for major enemies against what you stand for! They know you'll be here! The whole town would suffer!"

"What we're doing," Jack replied, not flinching. "Is saving our planet. Two million people died in six weeks of fighting. Two million men, women and children. We're ending that bloodshed."

"Yes, but for how long?" Drew questioned. "Millions more will die in their wake during this Empire's civil war, which is inevitable by the way.. How many people do you honestly think are going to be okay with this and obey every rule thrown at them?"

Jack responded simply. "Their leaders accepted this proposal. In fact, for your information, I gave them a chance to abstain from joining the Empire, and not one did so. They chose to join the Empire."

"Their 'leaders'," Drew quotated. "are corporate puppets who only listen when there's money involved.. They know they'll gain way more than they already had due to the sheer amount of Replicators they'll be given, so naturally they're thinking money.. They're thinking power! Sure, every citizen will supposedly be given a limited Replicator, but what do you think some of those supposed 'leaders' will do when they have an entire unlimited Replicator at their disposal? Once they find one? They'll turn their back on you and this Empire the first chance they get, Jack.."

"They won't be given a replicator. The leaders will serve at the pleasure of continental governors directly elected by the people, and the army will follow us."

Drew simply chuckled, replying,

"Exactly. They won't be 'given' a Replicator, so that's why they steal one and manipulate it to fit their needs! How many smart people are in this world, Jack? Hmm? Tons of them! They'll find the biggest tech masters in the world, and will give them anything they desire, just so they can get their hands on just one Replicator! They're smarter than you think they are Jack, and are just as evil.."

Jack looked him dead in the eye. "What did you just say..."

"You heard me.." Drew coldly said.

Jack blinked, before he said simply. "What did you do in the war? I don't recall you doing anything. You weren't there to face the bullets. You didn't have to write letters home every single day. You didn't see the destruction we did. What I'm doing is trying to help people. But you wouldn't understand that would you?! And what if we don't build this Empire, how long until another Cartman comes out?! With the Empire, we can find and stop them before they can cause that same destruction!"

Kenzi began to start crying, due to the shear volume of the two men's arguing. Drew rocked her gently and tried to calm her down.

"I would suggest you lower your voice.." Drew warned Jack. "Stop this delusion, before it's too late!"

Jack cocked a brow, before he responded simply. "You're pathetic. And don't you dare call me delusional. You're the one who's delusional. Because the old system of the world is to blame for all our problems. We're trying to solve them. Pollution, overpopulation, greed, war, ignorance is all going to be reduced and hopefully stopped because of this. But I wouldn't expect you to understand, when you did nothing in that war. And don't say you had a family to care for. Because so did I! If it wasn't for the Replicator, I could have lost them multiple times. I am doing this to save this world."

"You will not bring my family into this!" Drew snapped. "Need I remind everyone that it was you who gave me those Blades in the first place? I couldn't stop them from disappearing! Your little mistake took everything from me, including my fighting abilities! So forgive me if I was a bit hesitant for fighting in a dumbass war and getting shot! You know, when I first moved here, we were both the 'new kids'." He then pointed to Alex. "And so was he!"

Drew looked back at Jack, a cold expression on his face.

"And let me just say, you've changed, Anderson.." Drew referred to Jack by his last name. "For the worse.. What you guys did against Cartman, that was right. That's what you were supposed to do! But now as soon as it's all over you're only gonna put this world in even more danger than before! These leaders will find a way to put themselves at the top of the food chain! It's happened multiple times throughout history! And you fail to see reason!"

Drew then shook his head.

"I will not put my family in any more danger.. They will not see this pathetic, inevitable war you're going to cause!" He then looked at Jack's whole family, followed by looking at Cate and Nala.

"I pity your families.. They don't deserve any of this either.. I pray they'll turn out okay once the world is but mere rubble, and a former shell of what it once was.." Drew finished.

"Drew, there have been three World Wars, and over the last two thousand years, under the nationalistic system, there have been who-knows how many millions of deaths. You say that the elite seek power, and this is how they do it. They send innocents by the thousands under the fantasy that they have more right to live in a place than someone else. To them, civilians are pawns, and what matters to them is how much land, money, they lose or gain at the end of it all. Governments actively fund companies that directly contribute to the causes of global warming, CO2 emissions, habitat destruction, proxy wars! Under one unilateral government, it will all end!"

"You really believe that, don't you, Alex?.." Drew questioned. "They may masquerade as good men for wanting to 'better the world' but I know what they'll do! Even if it's just one, one of those world leaders will get their hands on a Replicator, and with it start a war that will cause millions more on the planet to perish! They will be on a conquest for land! To rule over all! Oh, and did I not mention how certain other patriotic citizens might react?.."

Drew paused briefly, before going into more detail on his final question he asked.

"They will start perhaps the worst civil war this world has ever seen! This Empire will break into many pieces! Remember how many times China even divided into sections in history? What about the many Empires? The ones that would 'last forever and change the world'? How's the Roman Empire doing these days, huh? That didn't fall or anything.." Drew ended sarcastically.

"I must ask what you're trying to get out of this. This is happening, and unlike before, we will do it by the consent of the people. Everyone will have the same living standards. There will be no poverty, there will be global freedom of movement, there will be no more institutional racism or discrimination, because everyone won't be a citizen of a country, but of the world. Those who try to resist, they do not believe in evolution of the human race. Violence will be prevented before it can rise," Alex said.

"What I'm trying to 'get', Alex, is a safe place for me and my family to live.. One with minimal war and violence. You might think that this idea will solve all of that, and it admittedly does sound good on paper, but no one on this planet shares the same opinion! You will not stop war! You will not stop racism! You will not stop any atrocity this world has to offer! Not like this! This will only make matters worse.. This is going to kill more people than you think! You're making South Park especially, a target for violence! Why do you think Bebe reacted the way she did? Because she knows.. She sees what is inevitably going to come from all of this!"

"The price of freedom is indeed high, but while there is a risk of societal disruption, the future generations will thank us for doing this. I'm sorry we cannot agree on this, but… this is happening, and if you're going to be like this… I- I'm not sure what else I can say. I want to prove you wrong, but if you continue to oppose this, you will be disappointed. We're not trying to condition humanity into one ideology, we're trying to promote peace, tolerance, altruism and prosperity while also promoting individuality and the freedom to do whatever your heart desires as long as it does not harm anyone," Alex replied.

Drew looked coldly at Alex, then at Jack.

"You're both fools.." Drew replied seriously, yet simply. "When this world suffers, don't bother coming to me for advice.. You can deal with it yourselves! See how the world likes it.."

"What would you do Drew?!" Jack thundered. "What system do you propose that wouldn't be a carbon copy of the system we're discarding now? You claim to be against those power-hungry politicians, but by forming this Empire we reduce their power. Every one of them will be under the supervision of the people directly. Why can't you see that whatever happens, we're trying to help the people of this world?! Do you even have an alternative system in mind, or are you just speaking from the lens of blind fear?"

Drew didn't even flinch. He just kept trying to calm Kenzi down, who was still crying due to all the noise.

"Oh, I have a system in mind.." Drew told Jack. "But it's not like it would matter to begin with. We all know Jack's gonna get what Jack wants, eh?"

Jack walked up to him directly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't take one step closer!" Drew exclaimed with a warning. "If something happens to this baby, there won't be a Replicator in the world that'll be enough to save you.."

Jack looked him dead in the eye. "You lost your powers, weakling. And is that a threat?"

"Only a promise.." Drew coldly replied. "A man can be dangerous when angered.. But a father who's angered, especially when it involves their kids, is a different animal.."

"It's you who is causing this anger, Drew." Kyle growled, joining his boyfriend. "We're trying to help people-"

"No you're not!" Someone abruptly cut him off. But it wasn't Drew.. It was Kenny! "I agree with Drew! This 'Empire' plan is just dumb fucking bullshit!" He then looked at Jack.

"You ridicule and belittle Drew for losing his powers, when you're the one who started it in the first place.. Oh, and you want to put him down because he 'didn't fight in the war'? Well guess what? I did!.."

"Eh, that was a little unwarranted," Alex commented quietly.

"He started nothing!" Kyle screeched. "You weren't there when Cartman attacked us that night!"

"Did he or did he not pull the trigger on the Replicator when he gave Drew those Blades, Kyle?.." Kenny asked him. "Did he or did he not?.."

"If I recall, it was Drew who suggested the Blades, out of all other weapons that would have easily incapacitated those hyenas," Alex interjected.

"But Uncle Alex," Adia of all people now said, more out of curiosity than anything. "w- why did those Blades give Daddy a sei- seibre? Seizure?" She tried pronouncing. "Mommy was telling me that Daddy was hurt when those thingies disappeared.. He was asleep for a long time after that.. I was scared.."

Jack sighed. "Because he chose to make them. He could have had anything else, but he chose those weapons, and sealed his own fate." He said coldly, a tiny hint of yellow starting to burn in his eyes as he looked at Drew.

"Don't talk to my daughter like that.." Drew warned once more, this time his entire body trembling with seething anger.

Jack looked at him. "You don't scare me. I've faced far worse than you. I lost a hand to Zillum, I was scarred by Cartman, and had to deal with a mercenary."

"Aaand we're back to this again.." Kenny rolled his eyes. "Get off Drew's fucking nuts, man.. You just don't wanna admit when the kid is smarter than you, and actually brings up a solid point.." He finished, pointing at Adia, who was cuddled against Nzuri, a bit scared over this arguing.

"Shut up Kenny..." Kyle snapped. "Jack and Alex saved this entire planet-"

"They saved this planet!?" Kenny snapped at Kyle. "They did!? What about the many friends and comrades I made on the battlefield!? The ones who fucking died right in front of me!? No, but I guess we're not fucking important.. Nope, just Jack and Alex.. Quit acting like a fucking retard, dude! I thought we were past acting this way since middle school.."

"It was them who led the way to victory. It was Jack who killed Cartman. It was Jack who defeated Zillum. And it was Jack who saved my life. He fought in every single battle, and it was through his leadership that we won!"

"And without us, his soldiers, he would have had no one to lead! Quit fucking acting like we're nothing! We suffered just as much as he did!" He was silent for a bit. "What about Batman, even!? How many times did he save the fucking day? What about his role in the war? What about Vader? Do they mean nothing to you!?"

"Batman was a hero, as are every one of the soldiers who fought and died! Vader saved my life. But you're acting like I did nothing! We needed every soldier in that army, and every one of them came through. I fought with my men. With those heroes to end this suffering, and we're trying to build a better world for people like Amelia, Kylie, Simba, Nala, Adia and Kenzi!"

"You don't give two fucks about Adia or Kenzi.." Drew silently, yet angrily muttered. "Or else you wouldn't be doing this.."

Jack replied simply. "It was you who began this argument. And I don't even recall a time where you even tried to get to know Amelia. Alex and Cate have, but every time I ask if you want to say hi, you just find some excuse to avoid her!"

"Some of us have jobs.." Drew answered. "Some of us are fucking piled on by the real world! You know how many hours I've spent building houses? Sheds? Businesses? That new governmental office in the middle of town, especially!? With how big and complex that is!? A long fucking time! I barely have time to spend with my own family! Not nearly enough.." He finished. "It's fucking hard, Jack! It's not like I don't fucking try! Because for fuck's sake, I have been!"

"Can we all just act like civil adults? This is supposed to be a day where we celebrate a future of peace and prosperity. No, we don't expect things to go smoothly, but it's not all about the present, it's about what's the best for the people who come after us. If we're just going to argue instead of debating, we're just going to fall out. Do you really want for that to happen? After everything that has happened? Those people died so we could live in peace and liberty! Not for us to argue over what might happen instead of trying to prevent the risks from becoming reality," Alex asked.

Kyle looked down. "Whatever happens, we are doing this with good intentions and we're trying to help people."

"Whatever, dude.." Kenny said, rolling his eyes and putting his hoodie on. "Same old story.. I'm fucking outta here.."

Kenny walked towards the front door, before Kyle got in his way. "Kenny, for once in your life will you just listen to me?!" He begged.

"For what!?" Kenny shot back. "So that you can tell me how 'wrong' I am and how 'great and all knowing' Jack is!? How he's always right!? How with him doing this and making all these major decisions for the planet, that all will end okay for this world!?"

Kenny shook his head.

"Count me the fuck out.." He finished, trying to get past Kyle.

Kyle didn't move. "Kenny, you are like a brother to me! Please don't leave!"

Kenny looked off to the side, his eyes closed with obvious hurt in them.

"First I lose Stan as a friend.. And I'd hate to lose you too.." Kenny said softly. "But the way you're acting.. you speak blindly! Do you not at least see where me and Drew are coming from!? At all?"

"We do." Jack said softly, stunning everyone.

It was silent for a bit, before Drew said,

"Elaborate."

Jack looked down. "I understand your fear. I genuinely do, because I bet this does sound like something a dictator would do. But my plan is to give every household a replicator to provide them with food, water, shelter and safety. My plan is to bring democracy to every corner of the Earth. To cure cancer and AIDS. To give everyone a voice. To bring hope. I don't do this because I want power. I do this because I want my children to grow up in a world without terrorist attacks, without the threat of Nuclear Holocaust, without having to wear masks simply to breathe."

He looked down. "This isn't a perfect solution. But if done correctly, it can bring humanity into a golden age. Think about it. All the great things people envisioned for the future could come true...We don't have to live in fear. We can reach for the stars themselves. We can stand hand in hand and try to build a better future together. One not ruled by money or political power plays, but by humanity as a whole. The constitution contains a bill of rights that guarantee every individual has freedom. I don't ask you to agree. I welcome you to not. Because that is your inalienable right under the law of the very Empire I am establishing. I am asking you to give us a chance to try to change things for the better."

"Then do it.." Drew simply said with a sigh. "I won't stop you.." He looked up at Jack. "Hell, I can't stop you!" Drew ended with a slightly eerie laugh.

Jack looked at him. "Do you really think I want to hurt more people? After the two million people we lost in this war, including 1.2 million Americans? I want to prevent that kind of slaughter from happening again."

"We can all want to prevent something.. But none of us can predict the possible repercussions that could and would occur." Drew simply answered.

"Correct. But we can try to prevent them peacefully." Kyle replied softly. "Drew, whatever happens, we won't become dictators. We can't predict the future, but we will try our damndest to help every person we can, because we're all human, and I believe that the vast majority of us are fundamentally good."

"Easier said than done.." Drew told Kyle, holding his guitar in one hand, and Kenzi with the other. "But good luck.." He then motioned towards the door with his head, looking at Nzuri and Adia. "I have a headache, guys.. Let's find Bebe and head home.."

Nzuri and Adia nodded, ready to head out of there themselves, and with that, Nzuri picked Adia up by the scruff of the neck, following Drew towards the door, where Kenny was still blocked in.

Kyle finally moved out of the way.

As the group left, Kyle said softly. "You don't have to worry about South Park becoming a target, because we're going to be leaving it. It's clear we don't belong here anymore."

They all stopped at the door, turning around with expressions of shock.

Drew looked at Nzuri and told her softly,

"Find Bebe, please.. She must be freezing out there.." Drew then handed Adia the keys to the car, which they had been doing for awhile now. It was quite impressive what they all learned, actually! After all, Adia loved helping out her Daddy!

As they exited the house, Drew walked back inside slightly, Kenzi still in his arms. Kenny had already done walked back inside.

"What the fuck do you mean, dude!?" Kenny asked in shock and sadness. "You can't leave South Park! Remember what happened last time you moved out? That incident with the smug?"

Even Jack seemed a bit surprised. "It doesn't matter." Kyle said softly. "We don't belong here, and we're most certainly not wanted here."

He then walked off, wiping a tear from his eyes as he headed up to his and Jack's room, before closing the door softly.

Kenny sighed in sadness.

"God fucking dammit.." He muttered, looking down at the ground.

Jack looked at the two blankly. "I wish the both of you the best…"

"Well.. I'd hate to see you go." Drew said with a slight sigh, still rocking Kenzi softly to keep her from waking up. "But if that's your final decision, just like this Empire.." He then shrugged. "I can't exactly stop you, can I?.."

Jack shook his head. "No...you can't...I would hate to leave as well...This place is my home...I just..."

He shook his head. "I just want to help." He mumbled. "I just want to help the world. I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this. But what's done is done, and I just want to pick up the pieces of a war none of us wanted but we had to finish before it finished us."

"None of us did.." Kenny sighed, still looking down.

Out of nowhere, whether it was from anger, sadness, or just general upset, he turned around and quickly stormed out of the house without another word, leaving Drew, Alex and Jack in silence.

Jack looked at Drew. "My father always told me to never use your strengths to hurt people. I don't intend to break the promise I made to him." Jack declared.

"Let us hope you're right.." Drew said, before he too exited the house, figuring Bebe, Nzuri, and Adia were probably already in the car ready to go. Besides, he was getting tired himself..

He would just go to bed and-

'Oh yeah..' Drew sighed in disappointment. 'I have to interrogate Garrison tonight! Looks like I'll be out later than I want to be.. Again..'

Drew then exited the house, his headache intensifying to new heights of pain.

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"Hey," Kyle greeted as he sat down beside Cate. The two were at the park, both trying to clear their heads after last night's exchange. Kyle had just now noticed her, and decided to try and approach to see how she was doing. She looked kind of concerned, as if she wasn't really registering the environment, even though she had been here before.

"Hmm? Oh, hello Kyle," Cate replied with a weak smile. Her voice was also evidence that her mind was elsewhere.

Kyle sighed. "So...last night…I...can't believe what happened."

"Me neither. I just… I don't know how to deal with it! Jack and Alex basically changed the world forever, and not to mention Drew and Bebe's reaction. I hope they come to support our endeavour, yet they have the right to say what they said," Cate said.

Kyle nodded. "They do. I just...I've lost another friend because of this stupid war...Stan is pissed at us. Kenny is pissed at us! I just don't know..."

"I believe that they will come to realise that unity is better than the contrary. While war is a destructive force, I believe it cannot permanently sever friendship," Cate replied, trying to raise Kyle's spirits.

Kyle sighed. "I just hope you're right..."

He looked at her. "Are you alright...I mean...I just can't help but notice that you seem troubled as well. By more than just the argument."

Cate sighed. "Well, a strange thing happened this morning. Alex woke me up complaining about a headache, and when I looked at him, there was blood pouring from his nose, and he didn't even notice until I told him! And ever since, he's been in an unnaturally poor mood. He was easily irritated, so I decided to go for a walk on my own to see if he got any better by the time I returned," she explained.

Kyle nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

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Alex was walking in haste towards the park, hoping to try and talk to Cate. His mood had slightly improved and wanted to make amends for his behaviour. He had brought with him a bouquet of roses, her favourite flower, and was now near the entrance to the park, where he could see that Cate was with Kyle.

He sighed in relief. For some reason, he had been thinking irrational thoughts. It was as if something had overcome him like a blanket of doubt and fear. However, he had shook it off after watching videos of his favourite YouTuber, Jacksepticeye.

He then advanced towards the bench at which Cate and Kyle were sitting. It looked like they were in deep conversation with each other. Cate noticed him approaching them and greeted him with a weak smile.

Kyle turned as well, and nodded a bit in greeting.

"Hi, Kyle," Alex said. He then gave Cate the bouquet of roses, and for this, she offered a grateful smile.

"Thank you! Are you feeling better?" Cate asked.

"Much better, thanks. I'm sorry I acted that way earlier. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was yesterday? I dunno. Anyway, is there anything I can do to make it up for you?" he asked.

Cate smirked. "I can think of something…" she cocked a brow.

Alex chuckled. "Anything for my Empress," he said as he kissed her on her cheek.

"Alex?" Jack's voice on the Communicator began.

"This better be important," Alex sighed.

"We're meeting at the UN today to discuss the future with the leaders of the other nations."

"Y-yeah, that is important," Alex chuckled.

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The UN building was filled with representatives from all over the world. Today was the day that the world would come together to discuss the future. There were even talks of drafting a constitution.

Jack and Alex were greeted by Jeremy Corbyn as they entered the meeting hall.

"Your Majesties… is it Your Majesties? Your Grace?" Jeremy asked.

Jack chuckled. "I feel like that's a bit too over the top. Jack and Alex will do."

"Ah, very humble. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you again. I'm looking forward to what the next few hours will bring. You needn't be reminded that this is a historic day for our planet, and I truly believe that your vision will bring much needed peace, unity and repair for the Earth," he said with a smile of excitement.

"Indeed. I personally want to make sure that the effects of climate change are limited, if not reversed, and that poverty will be confined to the past, where it belongs," Alex replied.

Jeremy nodded. "You're talking my language! Well, the meeting is about to start, I'll talk to you both later, if possible," he said as he withdrew to his seat.

Jack and Alex nodded, and they joined their fellow leaders at the table to discuss the Empire.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this meeting, and may I offer our new Emperors a warm welcome," the chairperson of the meeting said.

Suddenly, a person wearing a mask and waving some sort of device in their hand ran into the room, and they were running right towards Jack and Alex…

"DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPIRE!" they yelled.

Jack's eyes widened, and he tried to go for his lightsaber, but Alex tackled him to the ground. The last thing Jack saw was an explosion before everything went black.

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Kyle, Kylie, Amelia, Simba, Cate, and Nala were watching Spongebob at Jack's house. Nala seemed to enjoy it as much as the other kids did.

Cate felt her smartphone vibrate in her pocket, and extracted it. When she saw what the CNN News notification said, her face paled.

"Holy sh…" she stopped herself from cursing in front of the cubs and children.

"What?" Kyle questioned.

Cate immediately grabbed the remote and turned the TV to the CNN news channel, where she saw an image that caused her heart to sink. A burning part of the UN building in New York, the venue of Jack and Alex's meeting.

Everyone's eyes widened, and Kyle began to whimper. "Oh god! Please NO!"

"Virtually all of the national leaders were casualties of this attack. There were only three survivors, Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn of the United Kingdom, Emperor Jack Cutler Anderson of the Empire, and..."

Kyle sighed in relief, but everyone immediately waited for the third survivor to be announced.

"We...have reports that Emperor Alex Pearson survived the initial explosion, but has...unfortunately died of his wounds..."

Cate's face froze. She couldn't hear Kyle's voice. She simply rose to her feet, staggered slightly towards the door and left the building.

Kyle got up. "Cate..."

Cate simply collapsed against the doorframe. She felt empty and alone. She then gritted her teeth in grief and anger.

"NOOOOO!" she growled before she burst into tears.

Kyle pulled her into a hug, trying his best to comfort her. "I know...I know..." He whispered, trying his best to hold back his own tears.

"Why…. just why?!" she wailed in agony.

"I don't know." Kyle whispered. "But I do know he'll always love you, and he's still with you in your heart. He truly loved you with every fiber of his being."

"We… we were going to get married, have children of our own… and now that… that cunt stole our future from us. There is nothing… no one to pay, no one to suffer, no one…" she lamented.

"Be strong, Cate. For Nala." Kyle replied softly. "She lost her father."

Cate nodded shakily as she latched onto Kyles' wrist.

The pair noticed that Nala was in a similar situation, with Simba doing his best to comfort her, while Amelia seemed to be about to cry herself, while Kylie just looked down, trying to stay strong.

Cate continued to cry for what seemed like an hour before the tears began to dry on her face.

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Jack disembarked from the shuttle into town. Alone. As he walked down the street, he was sent cold, distrustful, even hateful glares. He had seen it on the news. Already people suspected that this was his doing. They thought he was trying to eliminate all possible rivals.

He was dreading facing Alex's family. He could already see the hurt and pain in Cate's eyes. He had failed to save Alex. He had failed to protect his people…

He kept walking, his fear growing with every second, before he finally reached Alex's house. He stopped, hesitant to approach. He literally had no idea how to face Cate and Nala…

Jack saw the curtain of the front room window moved a little bit, and before he could knock on the door, Cate opened it. Her eyes showed evidence of endless tears and unprecedented grief. Behind her was Nala, who bore an expression of pure sadness and pain. Cate then walked away, leaving the door open for Jack to enter.

Jack sighed, and walked in.

He saw his own family was there as well. Kyle looked at him with a sad expression, as did his children.

Jack looked down, struggling to come up with what to say. He was cut off by Cate.

"Did he suffer?" she asked. She would not want for him to know fear and pain in his final moments.

Jack looked down. "No. We tried everything we could. I tried everything I could..."

Cate looked away, trying to not say something she would regret. 'You didn't try hard enough' was on her mind, but in her heart, she believed him.

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Drew and his family arrived at the funeral soon after, dressed in black for the unfortunate occasion. This included Nzuri and Adia, because for one, Drew considered them just as much family as he did Bebe, her mom, and Kenzi. And secondly, it's what Alex would have wanted.. Adia did love her Uncle Alex when she got to see him..

Upon walking inside, they spotted familiar faces right away, which included Cate, Nala, Stan and his family, Kenny, Wendy, Jack and all of his family, as well as replicants such as General Lee, the Avengers and Caesiarius.

Stan looked at Drew and his family mournfully.

"Hey, guys.." Stan softly spoke. He still seemed rather embarrassed about the whole barbecue incident, but right now he, and everyone else present it seemed, realized there were more important things going on..

Wendy approached Bebe and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Bebe.. How you guys holding up?"

Wendy gave Drew and the rest of his family a hug as well as Bebe replied,

"The best we can.." She sighed. "Obviously it's a very hard time for all of us.. My condolences and prayers are with Alex's family and loved ones.. I don't know how this could have happened.."

Wendy sighed, a tear in her eye.

"I don't know, Bebe.." She admitted. "Some sick, twisted individuals I'm sure.. Looked like a terrorist attack, at least in my mind. Who knows.."

Drew thought for a moment, before he looked at Jack.

'I KNEW this was going to happen! I just KNEW it! You try to form an Empire like this, and this is gonna be the result..' Drew thought with a sigh of absolute sadness. 'Why didn't you all LISTEN to me!? Why are we even having this funeral!? Alex deserved none of this!..'

Jack looked up for a moment, before locking eyes with Drew. His expression shifted slightly into one of hurt and anger. It was then that Drew remembered, the force could be used to sense others' feelings…

Drew sensed this, but said nothing.. He wasn't about to cause a scene in the middle of Alex's funeral.. He had too much respect for him to do something like that.

Jack seemed to have the same idea. After a few tense moments, Jack looked away. Drew merely walked over to talk with Stan and Kenny. He had grown a bit closer to them recently, especially with all the shit that was going on..

"H- Hi, Simba.. Nala.." Adia softly spoke with a couple tears in her eye, as she nervously approached the two other cubs. "Are you guys, okay?.."

Nala sighed sadly. "I've felt better, that can be said. I just… I miss him so much! I didn't think he would go so soon," she whimpered, prompting Simba to nuzzle her.

Meanwhile, over by Alex's casket, Cate stood there with tears streaming down her face, perhaps even more than before. Beside her stood Kyle, Nzuri, Bebe, and her mom now, trying their best to comfort her.

Nzuri nuzzled Cate comfortingly, trying to lift her spirits up as much as she could, and also to let her know that they were there for her and her family.

"I'm sorry, Cate.." Nzuri softly whispered. "I've dealt with the death of my mother, and even some of my best friends in the past, and it's truly a difficult thing to carry with you throughout life.."

Nzuri then gave a reassuring grin and finished,

"But just know that the Great Kings of the Past are probably watching over him right now.. He's probably up there smiling down on you.. Smiling down because of how proud he is.."

Cate responded to Nzuri's sincere words with a weak smile. "Thank you, Nzuri," she said after clearing her throat.

Bebe's mother handed Cate a tissue, while Bebe hugged Cate to once again, provide as much comfort as she could during this difficult time. Death was not fun, especially when it's someone you love more than anything..

Kyle placed a hand on Cate's shoulder, trying to show that he was there for her as well.

Jack was staying out of everyone's way, his mind swirling with regret and anger. However, he suddenly noticed something else. Something coming from Alex's casket. His eyes widened.

He also noticed the dust… rise from the floor. And then he felt the coins in his pockets move upwards. There were mumbles of shock as a couple of unoccupied chairs levitate!

A few seconds later, there were tens of articles of different sizes and masses floating in the air. It capitulated when a bright blue light flashed from the casket, momentarily blinding everyone. When the light disappeared, the people at the casket gasped when they saw that it was empty!

Jack looked around quickly, while Drew immediately marched up to the casket to investigate. He looked inside of it, underneath it, and even behind it, and sure enough, it was completely empty! Not a trace!

It was then that the doors to the main door were blown from their hinges.

The light flooded into the church, and everyone looked back to see a dark figure in the doorway. The figure stepped forward, and everyone gasped when they saw that it was… Alex's suit of armour!

Cate stepped forward hesitantly.

A voice filled the church.

"Mortals… you grieve he who has passed even though you will meet the same fate. You are pathetic, but fear not. I shall relieve you of your pain, for I shall give you what you anticipate with fear, for I am the Lord of Death," the voice said. It was most definitely not Alex's voice.

Whoever… whatever was inside the suit, it outstretched it's arm and the telekinetic episode repeated again, this time, including the casket. The figure raised the arm towards the ceiling, and it formed a fist before telekinetically pulling the ceiling to the floor!

Jack, however, held up his own hand, and managed to prevent it from harming anyone. He threw the remnants out of the way, and activated his lightsaber, getting between the group and Alex.

Drew rushed over to everyone else, including his family, and told them,

"Get out of here, now! It's too dangerous!"

Most of them complied, but Bebe, Kyle and Cate gasped and Bebe widened her eyes in protest.

"B- But Drew, what about-"

"I'll be fine!" Drew firmly tried to assure her. "Now go! Go back home! I can't leave Jack and the Avengers to face this alone. An extra head always helps.."

"What about your powers!?" Bebe yelled back, tears streaming down her face, just at the thought of Drew suffering a similar fate that Alex did.

"I've been training martial arts again!" Drew quickly countered with a lie. "I've learned a bit more again and I'm getting back into the swing of things! Now go, Bebe!"

Bebe thought it best to not protest any further.. She knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. Instead, she ran out of the church at full speed to make it to their car, so that she could take her family back home, and away from the chaos!

"False emperor… you shall meet your fate soon enough, and you will not stop me from conquering this and all universes in the Multiverse," the voice warned Jack.

Jack shook his head. "You get out of my brother's head!"

There was the sound of a second lightsaber activating, while Captain America, Thor, Iron-Man joined it's owner, Darth Vader, as the four joined with Jack.

Jack raised his saber. "For Alex!" He yelled.

The so-called 'Lord of Death' simply reached behind and drew two katana swords formed by the nanites, and charged towards the group of foes.

As the battle was about to get underway, Drew slipped out the back of the church out of sight, where he could get into more appropriate gear for a time like this..

Jack rushed forward, followed by the Avengers and Vader, and the Force users pushed the suit back, but it simply engaged its thrusters to fly towards them. Steve threw his shield at the suit, causing the suit to divert around the group. It continued to fly around the church, launching several missiles aimed for the group. The suit latched onto a pillar and extended its arm. Steve's shield flew towards the suit, who batted it out of the way.

"You are all insignificant. You surround yourself with false light when your world is naturally dark. Your end is darkness. Your beginning was darkness, and I, Ibilisi, shall restore the darkness," Ibilisi declared before the suit flew directly at Jack.

Jack was thrown back as the suit slammed into him. He was pushed against a wall, before a grappling hook wrapped around the suit's leg and threw him back. Jack's eyes widened as he realized who it was; Batman.

Batman wasted no time at all, charging at Ibilisi as he tossed a perfect placed Batarang into the suit's wrist.

The suit's face merely looked at the Batarang, and effortlessly extracted it, before trying to use it on Batman himself. Batman, of course, dodged it, but could not prevent himself from being telekinetically levitated and threw outside of the church through a now smashed window. The suit levitated several chairs and moved them violently towards the other combatants, leaving Jack momentarily isolated, but enough time for the suit to fly towards him, and pin him against the crucifix.

The repulsor powered up as the suit aimed it directly at his face, but just like what happened before, a grappling hook wrapped around the suit's ankles.

This time, however, instead of tossing him aside, Batman pulled him in close to him and clung onto the suit's back. Batman sent as many blows as he could into the suit's head, to hopefully weaken it.

The suit thrusted itself backwards, hitting the wall repeatedly with Batman's grip becoming slightly weaker, and the suit grabbed him off his back and threw him into the ceiling that wasn't previously pulled down.

Thor threw his hammer at the suit, but it wouldn't hit it, because it disappeared in a blue flash.

Jack rushed forward, as did Vader, with the latter using the force to try and restrain the suit, while Jack leapt into the air and sent a surgical strike the cut part of the helmet from the suit, revealing that Alex was beneath the helmet.

There was a noticeable difference in the colour of his eyes. Instead of the kind and friendly blue, they were as red as the blood that was pouring from a wound on his forehead. He stretched his arm, and he willed the glass from the large stained glass window at the other end of the church to fly towards the group.

Vader held up his hand to block it, and redirect it, before sending it back to the suit. "Keep together!" Jack yelled. "We don't need anyone getting hurt! Stay sharp!"

Alex then closed his eyes. The floor began to tremble beneath their feet, putting them slightly off balance. Alex then stretched his arms and the church and accompanying earth was torn from the floor and hurtling towards the sky at a great speed.

Batman was back down to ground level, but hid behind one of the church pews. He needed to stop fighting aggressively and start thinking strategically! Whatever happened to Alex.. It wasn't good! Who knows what he could cause if he wasn't apprehended here!

Batman scanned the area for anything in the environment he might be able to use to his advantage, until he laid eyes on a giant metal cross that was stood up in the center of the church, by the altar!

Batman took something out of his utility belt and concealed it under his cape. He would have to wait for the right moment..

Once he saw the opportune time, he revealed himself and calmly began to walk up towards Alex.

Alex noticed this and turned around to face Batman.

"If you come closer, I shall throw this building to the Earth like a meteor," he warned. "I have knowledge about your future, your fate… your identity. You know it cannot be revealed for the safety of you and your family, so I would hold fast right there," he added.

Batman was a bit nervous on the inside, but remained strong.. He couldn't show fear! That would only make it easier for failure to occur! He couldn't give into his threats..

"You fight well, Ibilisi.." Batman said calmly, yet with that same deep, booming voice. "That suit of yours.. Made by Tony Stark himself, I see.." He looked the suit up and down. "Vibranium.. It makes quite the electromagnet, does it not?.."

It was at that moment that a torrent of electricity shot into the suit with the fury of a hundred thunderstorms.

Jack stood up, and yelled "NOW! INCAPACITATE HIM!" to the Avengers, Batman and Vader.

Batman gritted his teeth.

'What is he-' He thought in slight surprise and shock. This wasn't what he had planned..

After a moment spent recovering from the Force lightning, Alex spread his arms in each direction, causing everyone to freeze to the muscle…

"You just decided… that South Park is going to die," Alex declared as he thrust one of his palms to the floor, and as fast as the church was rising, it began to fall to the earth at twice that speed.

Jack hesitated, before he took a deep breath. He threw everything he had into holding the rock up, every cell, every atom, every neuron devoted to keeping it afloat. He began to scream from the sheer effort.

Alex struggled to wade his way to Jack. Such was the amount of Force energy being emitted, it was difficult to even move. Alex rose his repulsor to fire at Jack, but was distracted by Tony shouting 'Get down!' as his unibeam charged up, aimed at Alex, even though Jack was directly between him and his opponent.

"SAVE….SOUTH PARK!" Jack screamed as Tony charged up the beam, before Batman had decided enough was enough! He decided to put his plan into effect. Alex was in the perfect position!

He now revealed the Remote Electrical Charge, which was hidden under his cape, and shot the surge of ongoing electricity from the device, and onto the giant metal cross.

Due to the Vibranium Suit being an electromagnet, and attracted to the metal cross via the electricity, Alex was sucked directly onto the cross. He tried to struggle with all of his might, but it was as if he was stuck like glue! As long as the electricity kept flowing, he would be stuck there.

"Now!" Batman yelled to Tony, who released the mighty unibeam, blasting Alex out from the church unconscious.

The church finally lowered slowly, harmlessly into its former location. Jack yelled out as he released his force grip, before he fell back to the ground.

Jack, Batman, Alex, Vader, and the Avengers finally were released from the force storm that Jack had unleashed. Jack looked around to see Vader rising to his feet, while Batman merely put the Remote Electrical Charge back into his utility belt. He stared at the destruction that lay before them in silence, his expression and mood unknown to the rest.

It was then that Cate and Kyle walked into view. Kyle's eyes widened, and he rushed towards Jack.

Jack tried to speak, but Kyle's eyes widened when he realized that Jack's life was fading away because of the sheer effort he had exerted. "Jack! Oh god no!" He cried.

Jack raised his hand, and held it to Kyle's tear-streaked cheek, and said softly. "I love you..."

He closed his eyes, and his head fell back. Kyle was silent for a moment, before he whispered softly. "I love you..."

"No… not again," Cate whimpered. "You do not deserve this, Kyle," she said as she wrapped a comforting arm around him.

Kyle was silent. He only leaned against Cate's shoulder.

"Both of them..." Kyle whispered. "They're gone..."

It was then that Vader noticed Alex's suit was stirring. He immediately reactivated his lightsaber, while the Avengers engaged their offensive tactical knowledge, and carefully advanced towards Alex. They saw that his helmet was dislodged and revealed his bruised face.

As they got closer, they heard his natural voice groaning in pain and discomfort.

"What h-happened?" he asked, before his eyes widened as he grasped his chest.

"Oh, no…" he gasped before he extracted the Space Stone and used it to teleport to an unseen location.

Kyle barely had time to process what had just happened, when icy, cold clapping was suddenly heard.

"Don't you just love church on Sundays?.." A man with a sinister, slightly British in a way sounding voice said. His appearance was eerily similar to that of a clown.. He had green hair which was combed to the side, eggshell white skin which looked like makeup in appearance, and a purple suit with a yellow flower attached to the front of it. The clown was about 6' 3" tall, but was fairly skinny in appearance.

The man sat down in one of the church pews, a wide smile on his face. "Well.. I certainly don't.. Don't have much to say on this 'God' fellow.. It seems like every time chaos comes a knockin', He never seems to be at the door.."

He shrugged now with a frown, before immediately shifting back to a chilling, wide smile. The man chuckled almost gleefully and added,

"Well, Hell! I guess that's why I love him! Maybe there is a God! Isn't chaos and death simply wonderful!?"

Kyle blinked. "You're...insane..."

The clown merely chuckled eerily and stood up from the pew, beginning to walk towards Kyle.

"Oh, my dear boy.." The clown began, that wide smile still on his face. "You haven't even seen what insane is yet.."

His smile faded at that last part, and his voice shifted almost immediately to that of cold seriousness.

"Alright, I've heard enough. You better get out of here, clown, before I make a hole through your chest," Tony warned.

The clown gasped in what looked like mock fear.

"What!?" The clown exclaimed, that false shock and fear evident in his voice. "Oh no! Not a hole in my chest! Whatever shall I do?.."

"Stay still and you'll see," Tony replied as he aimed his repulsor at the strange individual.

The clown began to flinch, before he began to chuckle to himself. This threw everyone off guard.. Just what was this man up to!? Who was this?

Vader got between Kyle and Cate and this...man. "Surrender, creature, and you will die quickly."

"Oh, I don't think so.." The clown said with dead seriousness once again, switching from his grin. "You see, you may not know it yet, but you're not in charge of this town anymore.. This town belongs to me! I will bring it to its knees! And Hell! I'll barely need to lift a finger myself! You'll all do it to each other.." He finished vaguely.

"No!" Kyle yelled. "You may have taken them! But we won't bow to a monster like you!" He stood to his feet, before grabbing Vader's lightsaber and rushing at the man.

The clown stood completely still, his arms extended to his sides, almost as if he was waiting for it.

Kyle swung the red blade, only to be swiftly dodged by the clown. However, in that one swift move, he felt something relatively warm fly into his face from the clown's flower.. Almost like a gas!

Kyle breathed in the fumes, and as he prepared for another attack, he began to start laughing uncontrollably. It didn't take long until he was laughing at the top of his lungs. Kyle dropped the lightsaber to the ground, and held his face in pain, trying to shut his mouth and stop the painful smiling and laughing, but he was unable to! He couldn't stop it!

Batman widened his eyes in shock and anger, gritting his teeth at the clown. He rushed over to Kyle's side, as he had now begun to lie on the ground. Tears were coming from his eyes as he continued to laugh at the top of his lungs. He was clearly in a lot of pain!

"Tsk tsk, You should learn some manners, boy.." The clown told Kyle as he looked down at him. "Learn to laugh a little!" The clown ended with a wicked laugh of his own.

Kyle clutched his face, still unable stop the uncontrollable laughter.

Vader force pulled the lightsaber back, and moved to try and stop the man, but the clown reached into his suit pocket and pulled out what looked like three playing cards.

He 'aimed' his shot overdramatically as Vader marched towards him, ready to kill. Finally, at the last moment, he threw his cards at Vader, missing two of them, but one sticking dead center into the Sith Lord's respirator, leaving him momentarily unable to breathe.

Vader clutched his respirator as he collapsed to the ground, having focus all his force power to just breathe.

Batman looked between Kyle, who was in utmost pain from the toxic laughing gas, Vader, who was struggling to breathe on the ground and was recovering, and the clown who merely stood there with an evil smile.

Batman gritted his teeth in absolute rage. This clown would not get away with this! Something had to be done now!

"Get Kyle out of here! Use a Replicator to create an antidote for the neurotoxin! I'll deal with this lunatic.." Batman told the Avengers.

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark both helped Kyle to his feet and rushed away from the church, Cate rushing after them, while Vader hobbled after them, sending one last look to Batman. He hesitated as the others withdrew, before he too followed.

Batman marched directly towards the clown, as he merely smiled gleefully.

"Well look who it is!" The clown began. "The one who dresses like a ba-" He was cut off when he was picked up by the throat by Batman, who held him up with rage in his eyes.

"Whatever this is, whatever game you're playing, it's over.." Batman told the clown in a demanding voice.

The clown could only chuckle as he gagged and struggled for air.

"O- On the contrary, Batman.." The clown said, saying the vigilante's well known alias. "It hasn't even begun.."

Before Batman could decipher what that meant, he was forced to let go when an unsuspecting kick hit Batman in the knee. It threw him off balance, and the clown was able to slip from his grip. He took off running from the church, a booming laugh escaping his lungs. It was as if the clown was enjoying the chase!

Batman followed suit and ran after him in the hopes of apprehending him.

What happened next was, as usual, unexpected..

The clown reached into his suit and pulled out a small bag of some sort. He opened it up and quickly dumped the contents of the bag behind him, which were a ton of marbles!

Batman hadn't even seen it coming, and he almost comically slipped on the marbles, falling flat on his face.

The clown continued to laugh as he ran off, making his escape into the night.

Batman angrily slammed his fist onto the ground, beginning to stand back up to his feet. He almost slipped on the marbles again, but caught himself before that could happen.

Batman sighed in anger and disappointment, and was about to leave, before something in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

It was a playing card.

Batman was hesitant to pick the card up, just in case it was a trap. Once he finally made sure it was safe, he turned the card over and read what it said,

'Joker'


	12. Chapter 11, A New Era

Kyle was unconscious. He had stabilized, thank god, but it was likely he'd suffer from pain for a while. The Avengers were with him and Cate, as a last line of defense to the last of the Monarchs. With Jack gone and Alex corrupted, they needed to protect Kyle and Cate.

"We shall protect you both with our lives," Thor promised.

"Thank you. I just don't know how it could have gone so wrong so quickly," Cate said.

Vader walked in, having managed to get his respirator healed. "Are you and Kyle alright, Cate?" He asked, his voice sounding genuinely concerned, as well as soft for the usually cold Sith Lord.

Cate sighed and forced a smile. "I'm not sure, to be honest. My mind is stuck between mourning and hopeful. Alex may not be dead, but this so-called 'Ibilisi' has corrupted him," she explained. "And Kyle… I feel so sorry for him. No one should have to go through what I did. It's not right that we both went through the same loss so close to each other and so early on in the Empire," she added.

Vader nodded. "The pain is real, but have faith, Empress. For your love is not beyond saving. Both Emperors lost their way, but _neither_ are truly gone..."

"Well, in the words of Mark Hamill, no one is truly gone," Tony said in a somber tone.

"You're right." A familiar voice spoke.

"Hark! A ghost has come upon us!" Thor exclaimed.

"Not a ghost."

The familiar form of Jack stepped into view. Battered, bruised, but alive. He smiled slightly. "Someone saved my soul, and they allowed me to return from the nether world of the force..."

He looked at Cate. "It was my love for Kyle that gave me the will to return. And I'm sure it will be your love for Alex that will bring him back to us."

"It seemed to me that before he disappeared that he had a brief moment of normality, as if he knew that moment would not last," Steve commented.

Jack nodded. "Cate, I saw him, you must go to him. Only you can bring him back."

Cate nodded before grabbing her jacket and keys to Alex's house. She had to start from somewhere in her search for her love.

"I bid you good fortune in your quest, fair Cate," Thor said.

Cate smiled and said, "Thank you," before she departed for Alex's house.

Jack turned to an unconscious Kyle. "What happened?" He asked sadly. "Will he be alright?"

"Some clown cosplayer poisoned him with some sort of neurotoxin that caused him to laugh so hard, it literally hurt him," Tony explained.

Jack nodded, before he sat down beside the couch, and picked Kyle's small frame up, and cradled him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, my love..." Jack lamented as he held Kyle close.

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Cate inserted the keys into the door to Alex's house. She sighed sadly as she prepared to enter the house that would be deathly silent. It was usually filled with the sound of the television, of laughter, of music.

Now there was nothing. Nala was at Jack's house. Her parents… moved away from the battleground. Alex was stolen from her. But she would do all in her power to bring him back.

Cate turned the key and opened the door, and when she turned to face what she thought would be an empty house, she gasped when she saw Alex, sitting on the kitchen floor against a cabinet. He was looking down to his feet with a sad expression.

Cate walked towards him, but stopped before she entered the kitchen when Alex put a hand up.

"He's watching," Alex whispered.

Cate looked around in confusion.

"Who?" she asked.

"He who returned me to the world of the living. When I died… I was met with two paths. One of a calm, beautiful darkness and another, violent light. A voice spoke to me, saying that I had a choice of my destiny: to become a legendary warrior and protector in a kingdom ruled by lions, or to return to this world and rule beside you, Jack and Kyle. I chose this one. My mind told me that I was destined to choose the other path, but I was not yet ready. I was not ready to let you go," Alex spoke. A tear began to form in his eye.

"But I was deceived. My soul was vulnerable and weak. I was tempted with power… and somehow, I could not resist. It was against my will, and then He took over my body," Alex said. "How could I let that happen?" he whimpered as the tear fell down his cheek.

Cate wanted to comfort him, but Alex raised his hand again. When he next spoke, his voice was distorted.

"Stupid woman! You are naive. You cannot save him. You cannot expel me, you are _false_. Your beauty hides a secret, you appear to be fair, but your existence is not deserved," Ibilisi's voice said harshly.

Cate backed up, trying to appear brave. However, a darkness filled the cave as Alex got to his feet.

"You are afraid because you are weak," Ibilisi taunted.

"I am afraid because I know love, and that makes me more powerful than you," Cate replied confidently.

The suit approached her at a high pace. Cate jumped over the bannister of the staircase to escape the suit's reach. However, the suit fired its repulsor at the stairs, destroying several steps.

The suit flew up to the first floor, and saw that Cate was wielding a sword.

"Embrace your fate, young one. You are going to die, like I am going to enslave humanity and rule over each and every universe and dimension," Ibilisi claimed.

Cate simply cocked a brow. "Sounds fun," she mocked before charging towards the suit. She dodged a flying fist by ducking under the suit, and stabbing at the suit's thruster. The damage inflicted was only slight, but the suit turned to face Cate again. She threw the sword at the suit, distracting it momentarily as she kicked down the door into Alex's replicator room. In it were weapons from several franchises such as the Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as others.

Cate grabbed a small ball from Alex's desk, and when she clicked it, it started beeping. She threw it at the suit, who had now entered the room too. The ball immediately stuck to the suit, and no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't get it off.

"EMP bomb, replicated by my future husband," Cate said before she ducked under Alex's desk, and the bomb then detonated, disabling the suit.

Cate rushed over to the suit to direct it to form back into the metallic disc around the arc reactor.

Alex regained consciousness, and immediately grabbed Cate's throat. He levitated in the air and flew towards the wall of the replicator room. Cate struggled to breathe as she tried to reach for the vibranium shield that was his first replication. She reached it after her biting of Alex's hand caused him to drop her.

She swung it violently into Alex's face, and he fell to the floor, holding his head in pain.

As the natural colour of his eyes returned, he gasped when he saw Cate.

"Cate?" he asked, but the answer he got was a punch to the face that knocked him unconscious.

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Alex's mind began to clear as he felt his body start to wake up.

"Where am I?" he asked with a weary voice.

"You're in our house. You caused it's partial destruction," Cate replied.

"Cate?!" Alex exclaimed before holding his head in pain.

"Heh, sorry about that," Cate chuckled.

"What happened? The last thing I clearly remember was the detonation of the bomb in New York. Everything else after that is a blur," Alex said.

Cate sighed sadly. "Well, you were… killed in that explosion, and you were somehow resurrected, but you were possessed by an evil entity known as 'Ibilisi'," she explained. "And then you fought with everyone at your funeral, and then we fought. I won," she added with a proud grin.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Did you use those EMP bombs? They would be the only way you could disable my suit. Are you glad I replicated those?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess," Cate sighed. "Do you… remember anything you said yesterday, or what Ibilisi said through you?" she asked.

"I remember next to nothing. What did he say?" Alex asked.

"Oh, just the usual nonsense that people with God-complexes say, about how he was going to rule 'each and every universe and dimension'," Cate replied.

"How are Jack and Kyle doing?" Alex asked.

"Oh, that's a whole 'nother story! Basically, you caused the church to fly up to about ten thousand feet, and when you made it fall to the ground, Jack basically used all of his Force energy to stop the church from destroying South Park, and like you, he was revived!" Cate told him.

Alex sighed in regret. "How could I let this happen?" he asked rhetorically.

"No one could have prevented this, Alex. Don't beat yourself up over this," Cate instructed.

Alex saw that Cate had arranged a glass of water for him to drink, and that was what he did.

"Can you walk? Do you want to see Jack and Kyle?" Cate asked.

"You know what? I actually feel much better! My headache is no more, and I feel fully energised!" Alex replied with a smile, and added "Let's go."

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Alex and Cate walked into the room to see the Avengers, Vader, and Jack and Kyle. Jack was still cradling Kyle, who looked to be peacefully asleep.

"That's just the cutest thing I've seen today," Alex chuckled.

Jack smiled slightly. "Hello brother."

"It's good to be back," Alex said with a smile of his own.

Kyle stirred slightly, before he opened his eyes. His eyes widened when he saw it was Jack holding him. "Hello, my love." Jack said softly.

Kyle smiled slightly, but didn't speak, he simply cuddled up closer to Jack, apparently just enjoying this moment of peace.

Jack smiled. "If only Drew, Bebe, Stan and Kenny were here.., Then our group would be complete..."

He then asked. "Is everyone alright? No-one else was hurt?"

"Well, you could say our house was hurt, as well as Cate punching me in the face, but that was more my fault than anything. Other than that, we're all good, I think," Alex said.

Jack nodded. Then he realized something. "We should get the kids. They're probably wondering where we are..."

"Speaking of kids…" Cate spoke up. Alex looked at her.

"What about them?" Alex asked.

"Well, I was going to tell you after you came back from New York, but you… died. Anyway, I believe now is the most opportune moment," Cate said.

"What are you saying?" Alex asked, but was cut off by Cate kissing him on the lips.

"I'm pregnant," she declared.

Alex gulped. "You're… what?" he asked with a widening smile.

"You're going to be a dad," Cate smiled. Alex hugged her tightly.

"Oh congratulations!" Jack exclaimed.

"Thank you," Cate replied. Alex was speechless, still latched onto Cate.

Jack stopped. "The first baby who will be born in the Empire..."

"It seems that way," Cate chuckled. Alex's muffled voice was then heard.

"I love you and our baby," he said.

Cate smirked. "Make that 'babies'. I'm expecting twins," she said.

Alex froze.

Alex fell to the floor.

"What is it with our loved ones being unconscious today?" Jack asked Cate.

"It's all very overwhelming, indeed," she said.

Jack nodded in agreement.

He stopped for a moment, before getting an idea. "What if we build ourselves an estate? Think White-House or Buckingham Palace or whatever. It will double both as a capital building, and as the residence of the Emperors and Empress."

"While I admit I am not one to indulge myself, that does sound exciting," Cate said as Alex began to groan again.

"Am I dead again?" he asked.

"Nope. We're going to build an Imperial Estate," Cate declared.

Alex chuckled. "You're out to keep me unconscious, I swear!"

"Eh, you're less annoying that way," Cate remarked.

Kyle mumbled in agreement, still half-conscious.

"Even Kyle agrees with me," Cate added before she pulled Alex to his feet again.

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Jack, Kyle, Alex, and Cate, as well as Lee, Grant, Rommel, Caesarius, Carandial, Vader, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark were gathered around a table.

"Alright," Jack began. "I feel the time has come to form a proper administration."

"Indeed. We need, what? Executive, cabinet, legislative assemblies, local government?" Alex listed.

Jack nodded. "That is why I propose this plan. In addition to the Emperors and Empress, I believe that a President who functions as a day to day administrator and head of government is necessary. The President will be assisted by a cabinet, led by a Chancellor."

"Are we going to use all these historical figures as Cabinet Ministers?" Alex asked. "Seeing that we have perhaps the most qualified individuals in our ranks for Chancellor, Defense Secretary, Interior Secretary, et cetera… am I right in saying that?" he added.

Jack nodded. "I propose that our first government consists of John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Otto von Bismarck, Alexander Hamilton, and Robert F. Kennedy, as President, Chancellor, Defense Secretary, State Secretary, Treasury Secretary, and Attorney General."

Kyle cocked a brow. "Quite the list of qualified officials..." He mused.

Jack nodded. "Perhaps we also create a joint Intelligence-Investigation-National Security Agency?"

"Sure. Sounds like the perfect fit for Nat," Tony remarked, referring to the spy known as Black Widow.

Kyle cocked a brow. "I was thinking Nick Fury could be the director of it?"

"Yes! Finally, I can get him to meet Mace Windu!" Alex exclaimed.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You don't know _how_ long he's been asking me to set that meeting up." He said to Cate.

"He's mentioned that once or twice," she chuckled.

The group continued to discuss plans for the government. After a little while, the group was satisfied.

"Alright, so...we agree on the government?" Jack asked.

"I believe so. Still think Tony Blair should have been involved. Oh well, we can always have him at a lower level," Alex said.

Jack chuckled. "That's another thing he won't shut up about."

"Well, why don't you look at the British economy from 1997 to 2008? And homelessness rates, social equality and how he commanded the biggest Parliamentary majority in over a century?" Alex added.

Jack shrugged. "Don't know much about British politics aside from your hatred of Brexit."

"It does get grating at times…" Carandial commented.

"Don't get me started…" Alex sighed. "All I'll say is that it's a pointless and self-defeating endeavour," he added.

Carandial chuckled. "I wasn't talking about the idea itself, just how often you rant about it..."

"Well, it's not happening anymore, so we'll leave it at that," Alex smirked.

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Jack, Alex, Cate and Kyle walked down the street, deciding to head down to a local diner and get some food after the meeting. Kyle held his hand to his head, still in pain from the effects of the laughing gas.

"Are you alright, Kyle?" Cate asked gently.

"From what I was told, it sounds like an exaggerated version of gigglewater," Alex commented.

Kyle glared at Alex in response.

"Alex, you're a big boy, you know yourself that you should think before you open your big mouth," Cate reprimanded him sarcastically.

Jack nodded. "Especially if you're going to represent the Empire. Don't make us take away your candy..."

Alex went along with their condescending comments and pulled a fake pout and folding his arms against his chest before reverting to normality.

"Sorry, guys. I won't do it again," he promised.

Kyle grinned. "Good."

After reaching the restaurant and sitting down at their table, Jack decided to ask a question. "Any ideas for names you two?" He asked with a grin.

"Well, I didn't expect myself to find myself thinking of names at this point, but… I do like simple yet strong names. I was thinking of… Lucas for a boy, and… perhaps Alice for a girl," Alex said. "What about you?" he asked Cate.

"Those are nice names, in my opinion," she replied. Alex cocked a brow.

"Not any Anglicised Korean names?" he asked. Cate shook her head.

"Huh…" Alex muttered before he too shook his head.

Jack chuckled. "I can't wait to meet the little guys. Whatever their names are."

"Likewise. Do you reckon it will be another hyper pregnancy, like with Bebe?" Alex chuckled.

"Well, if that's the case, I'm all the more excited to meet them," Cate said with a smile.

Kyle nodded. "So are our kids. They're excited to meet them."

Jack thought for a moment. "I have a question..."

"What is it?" Cate replied.

"Who will be the heirs to the throne?"

"Well… whoever is born first, I guess," Alex responded. "No matter what their gender is, the first to be born should be the first in line," he added.

Kyle thought for a moment, before asking. "So...Simba? He was the first of the kids we've found, and according to Nala, he was born first."

"Well, so be it. A lion heir to a… human monarchy," Alex cocked a brow and smirked slightly.

Jack shrugged. "What? Don't be speciesist."

"I suppose it would show that this is an Empire for all Terrans," Cate said.

Kyle cocked a brow. "And if we go to the stars, an Empire for all Milky Way...ans?"

"Yeah, we'll have to work on that demonym," Alex chuckled.

Jack chuckled, before he stopped. "What is it?" Kyle asked.

Jack took a deep breath. "I...had a nightmare last night. It wasn't just Zillum and Deathstroke who return...but...two others..."

"Was it… Thanos? Sauron? Darkseid?" Alex listed. "I suppose these things are expected when you replicate super villains…" he added.

"Thanos and...Davy Jones...I think there's another Replicator out there..."

"I think the existence of the Replicator is like the existence of nuclear weapons. If both bearers of a Replicator use it, it's not just M.A.D., it's Mutually Assured Chaos and Mindfuckery!" Alex said.

Jack nodded. "That person with the Replicator...We _have_ to find them. Because if we don't stop them, if we don't catch them, we'll always be living under the barrel of a gun..."

Kyle stopped. "You said there were what, nine replicators our men found?"

Jack nodded. "So...we _know_ there are ten. And that Umberto guy, he had an Infinity Stone. Just WHAT is out there?! The One Ring?!"

"The Ten Replicators… that sounds like a title of a good novel," Alex commented. "I mean, if the Space Stone exists, then surely there must be the other five. And if someone has replicated the One Ring, it would only be so powerful… unless someone replicated Sauron with it…" Alex grimaced slightly.

Jack nodded. "We're going to have to be ready for anything..."

Alex gasped. "Could they replicate a _black hole_?!"

Kyle paled a bit. "Let's not give them any ideas.."

"Yeah, I better shut up before I make everyone lose their appetite," Alex admitted.

Jack nodded. "Agreed."

The group was given their food a little while later.

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The group began to head back home, when they saw something on the news.

Jack stopped, and his eyes widened. 'Palestinians declare Third Intifada! 760 people dead or wounded!'

Alex sighed sadly. "Is this because I said I supported a two-state solution?" he asked half-rhetorically.

"My Emperors?"

The group turned to see Caesarius approaching. "Permission to quell this rebellion?"

Jack cocked a brow, before he nodded firmly. "No unnecessary loss of life. No unnecessary collateral damage. But send these rebels a _message_."

Kyle looked at Jack, a little surprised. Cate and Alex looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah, this is a changed society. We will not harm our own people, but show them that this is our future," Alex said.

Kyle took a deep breath, before nodding. He didn't want to have to do this, but it was necessary...

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Jack, Kyle, Alex and Cate stood on the site of the future Imperial Citadel. "Alright, so, is this our final plan? Any other suggestions?" Jack asked.

"I still don't see how a full scale model of Minas Tirith is 'impractical'," Alex said in a sarcastic and non-serious tone.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Let it go, Alex..."

However, he said it in a joking manner, not really minding the constant complaints.

"Nah, in all serious, I think that's all we need. Amenities for public and tourists, humble Imperial Palace that is a model for the future, I think it's pretty good," Alex added.

Kyle nodded. "It's definitely a nice start."

Jack grinned. "This will be our permanent residence after all..."

"The kids will love it!" Cate commented.

Jack smiled, and with one press of a button, the Imperial Citadel was completed. It consisted of three main buildings; the Palace, which was the residence of the Imperial Family, the Headquarters, which was the administrative center of the Empire, and Command, which oversaw the Military Operations. Kind of like the US White House, Capital Building and Pentagon.

"Should we go get the kids and show them their new home?" Kyle asked.

"Definitely," Cate affirmed.

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"So...that's our new home?" Kylie asked.

"It sure is, Kylie." Jack replied with a smile.

"It doesn't look like Pride Rock at all! I love it already!" Nala exclaimed.

Simba chuckled. "You said that you called Uncle Drew and Aunt Bebe?" He asked.

Jack nodded. "I was going to offer them their own part of the palace. They are like family after all..."

"It would be nice if they could live with us. Oh well…" Alex sighed.

Kyle nodded in agreement. "I hope they agree. Though I have a feeling Drew won't..."

"Well, you know Republicans, they don't like big states or empires…" Alex commented.

Jack shrugged. "Unfortunately..."

"Anyway, shall we see if the Replicator has a good sense of interior design?" Cate suggested.

The group walked inside, and saw that the Replicator did indeed. It looked quite comfortable actually, not to snobbish or affluent. Just comfortable.

Amelia grinned. "I call the TV!"

She, Simba, Kylie and Nala ran to the living room.

Jack chuckled. "Have you told Nala yet?" He asked.

"Well, we actually have two things to tell her," Cate replied. She and Alex went over to sit next to Nala.

"That is a big-a… and marvellous TV," Alex stuttered, trying not to say inappropriate vocabulary around the children.

Nala giggled. "It sure is," she said.

Cate strokes the lioness cub on her head. "Hey, Nala?"

"Yeah?" The cub looked at her with her default smile.

"We have some exciting news," Alex announced.

"What is it?" Nala asked.

"Well, you know how there was a little cub growing in your mother's belly?" Alex said. He saw a hint of sad nostalgia in her eyes, so quickly moved the conversation onwards when she nodded.

"Well, there are two little babies growing in Cate's belly, like Bebe had one in hers," Alex said.

Nala gasped happily. "You're pregnant?!" she exclaimed, attracting the attention of the others.

Cate smiled. "Yes, dear. I am with child."

"Wow! Congratulations! When will they be here?" Nala asked.

"Well, with everything that has gone on, it could be anything from two months!" Alex replied.

"Alex, do we have… another news item to tell Nala?" Cate asked with a knowing smile.

"Why, yes we do. You tell her," Alex offered.

"What would you say to the idea of us… adopting you?" Cate asked.

Nala gasped.

"I would love that! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The cub exclaimed with newfound hyperactivity. "Oh, we're going to be such a happy family!" She exclaimed.

Kyle chuckled slightly at the cub's hyperactivity.

Jack wrapped an arm around Kyle's shoulder. "Remember when that was us asking Kylie?"

Kyle nodded. "I do." He said with a smile.

Jack was about to say something, before his face fell. He was still adjusting to _not_ having to worry about Cartman. The war was over, but he was still in the mindset that it wasn't…

Alex noticed Jack's expression, and he almost _knew_ what caused it, and try as he might, he failed to resist the same feeling. Such was the ferocity of the war, the horrible things he saw and had to do would not diminish from his memory. They would remain in his mind like a fire that was burning away what was good in him.

Kyle looked between Jack and Alex, and asked softly. "Are you guys alright? Is it..."

Jack nodded. "Yes."

Cate sighed before she kissed Alex. "You are not alone in this. We will help you to overcome your troubles and to help you rule this Empire to the best of our abilities," she said.

Kyle nodded. "Indeed. We'll help you anyway we can."

Jack smiled, before he pulled Kyle into a hug. "You guys are...It's just, it'll take a little while to move past this."

"We're with you… every step of the way," Cate said with an assuring smile.

Kylie turned from the TV. "Daddy? Uncle Alex? Is everything okay?"

Jack nodded. "With our families here, it is."

Kylie smiled, before Nala asked "Where are our rooms?"

Jack chuckled. "Down that hall and up the stairs. You guys get to pick."

With that, everyone dashed to the rooms and took turns to survey each room, judging how the facilities and amenities would be conducive to their needs and desires.

Nala chose a medium-sized room (they were all pretty big compared to the average bedroom) that had a large, luxurious bed, with ramps for the cubs to walk up if they needed it, as well as a large TV, toybox, desk, and computer for every one of them and a closet.

Kylie and Amelia chose the same room at the end of the hall, while Simba chose the middle room, and Nala chose the one on the right.

Jack chuckled. "Is it just me or do the kids make everything worth it?"

"It feels that way to me too," Alex said.

"And there will be more to come," Cate added.

Kyle chuckled. "I hope they love their big sister and cousins."

"I'm sure they will. I mean, they're pretty screwed if they don't," Alex chuckled.

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The Imperial Family was watching the news. Apparently, the Rebellion in Palestine had been crushed. Caesarius had broken the back of the rebels with an overwhelming attack that decimated their forces. As they had ordered, unnecessary loss of life was avoided, for the most part. But Caesarius had sent a message. While seven Imperial soldiers had been killed and twenty two wounded, over five hundred enemy troops had been killed. There was one incident however…

Apparently, one of the rebel cells had taken hostages, and Caesarius had led an attack that liberated them with _no_ casualties. He had used his ship, the _Executrix_ to disable the building's power grid, and personally took a pistol and led his troops into the building, rescuing fifteen innocent children three rebels had taken prisoner.

Images of Caesarius distributing food and medical supplies filled the screen, including him helping a little boy out of the building who seemed to have a broken leg…

Jack blinked. "He came through...And no civilian casualties...Even _with_ stuff like that."

"Indeed. A promising start," Alex concluded.

Kyle cocked a brow. "What about the leaders?" He thought aloud.

Apparently, Caesarius had _also_ captured all three leaders alive, and all three had been long term terrorists wanted internationally.

"Well, they won't be spreading their sinful influence and hampering efforts to unite two peoples anymore," Alex declared.

Jack nodded. "We can't kill them, it might make them martyrs for their evil cause."

"Eh, I never believed in the death penalty anyway," Alex shrugged.

"So..." Amelia began. "We won?"

"Well, we won this battle, but the effort to unite the world goes on. There are still people who are against the Empire, but they will be defeated in the end," Cate explained.

"You guys will stop them right?" Simba asked.

"Of course. We have the Avengers on our side! How could we not stop them?" Alex exclaimed.

Kyle shrugged. "You're forgetting about Vader and our Jedi Order you know?"

"Well… yeah, them too," Alex chuckled.

Jack chuckled. "Shall we watch a movie?"

Alex grinned. "How about… The Last Jedi?" He snickered, knowing that Jack's opinion about that film was far from positive.

Jack blinked. "Jack...don't give into your anger. Don't kill Alex." Kyle said, trying to calm down his fiance.

Jack sighed. "But I want to..." He whined in an overdramatic fashion.

"Good, let the hate flow through you!" Simba said, imitating Palpatine.

"Ha, Simba's got the references for days!" Alex chuckled.

"Cate?" Jack asked.

"I don't mind what we watch… as long as it isn't Marvel. I'm sick of the preceding fanfare," Cate admitted as she imitated the theme that played prior to the Phase Three films in a hyperbole.

Kyle cocked a brow. "Why not your favorite movie, Jack?"

Jack grinned. "You read my mind."

The grim music of Jurassic Park's opening scene, completely in contrast to that of Star Wars or Avengers played as the movie started.

"Uh, I don't like how it's starting already…" Nala commented.

As the scene began to play, the cubs were on edge, and when the raptor in the cage screeched, Simba jumped in sudden shock and surprise, much like the worker in the film did, while Nala cowered behind Simba, hoping that the raptor scene would pass quickly.

"Loading team step away. Gatekeeper," Muldoon ordered, and as said worker climbed onto the cage and pulled up the gate, _everyone_ jumped as the raptor rushed forward, causing the cage to fly back, and with a terrified scream, the worker was pulled halfway into the cage. "SHOOT HER! SHOOT HER!" Muldoon ordered, and the final scene was of the worker's hand being pulled back, before finally being pulled into the cage to the sounds of gunshots and...silence from the worker.

"Oh, my…" Nala gasped.

Jack paused the TV. "We don't have to watch the rest if you want, sweetie." He said gently.

"It's okay, it's just the raptors are a little scary. I want to see the other dinosaurs, though," Nala admitted.

Simba looked at Nala. "It's okay Nala. I'm here for you. I won't let those raptors scare you again!" He said bravely.

Nala smiled and slightly nuzzled Simba. "Thank you, Simba," she said.

Simba was a little surprised, but returned the nuzzle.

Nala liked the rest of the movie much better. She particularly liked the T-Rex and Brachiosaur scenes.

"Want a little fun fact?" Jack asked after the T-rex scene.

"Sure. I mean, you know basically everything about dinosaurs…" Nala replied.

Jack motioned to Rexy, who was sleeping nearby. "See Rexy over there? She's still a baby...When she grows up..." He stopped, letting Nala put the pieces together.

Her eyes widened in realisation. "Wow! How is she going to fit in this room?" she asked.

Jack chuckled. "We have a little plan for her. Let's just say that I've already bought the rights to Jurassic Park from Universal..."

"Well, you can afford it…" Alex remarked.

Jack chuckled. "The park will pay for itself in no-time. Or not, considering admission will be free pretty much. As Hammond said, 'everyone in the world has the right to enjoy these animals.'"

"Nice!" Alex smiled.

"So...we're building Jurassic Park?" Kylie asked.

"More than that. We're also going to try and rebuild the world's ecosystem. My goal is that no species on Earth is going to be in the endangered category within five years. Jurassic Park is going to be the vanguard of a much larger project, including terraforming Mars and Venus and the moon, and the creation of ecosystems of our own design."

"I like your ambition. I would very much like to see that happen. I personally want to eradicate all poverty, replace all artificial carbon emitting items with efficient and sustainable alternatives and to remove all plastic waste," Alex listed.

"Can we watch the movie please?" Amelia asked, getting impatient.

"Yeah, sorry. Let's." Alex replied.

Finally, they reached the ending. Alan, Ellie, and the kids were caught between the two raptors, and it seemed hopeless.

"Uh-Oh, this is bad…" Nala whispered.

Just as one of the raptors lunged forward, it was caught in the mouth of the T-rex, and the heroic theme of Jurassic Park played as the characters escaped thanks to the T-rex's timely intervention. As Nala watched the victorious Rex turn and unleash a mighty roar as the banner that said 'When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth' fell to the ground, her jaw dropped in awe.

"Ho, wow! That is awesome!" she exclaimed.

Simba nodded. "So...Rexy will grow up into _that_?!"

Jack nodded. "Indeed. She'll be the queen of the animal kingdom. She was the lion of her age."

"I wonder what it was like back then…" Simba said.

Kyle thought for a moment, before he looked at Jack, Alex and Cate with a grin.

"Oh, you're not thinking…" Alex asked.

Jack grinned. "Oh, why not? We'll be an Empire greater than space _or_ time!"

"I mean, it would be fun, but my brain is hurting over thinking about how it would work…" Alex said while holding his head.

Jack chuckled. "Well, for one, a time machine in this case would create an alternate timeline when you go there, so no Butterfly Effect or whatever it's called."

Alex nodded. "Oh, speaking of time, I've always wanted to meet the Doctor," he said.

Kyle grinned. "And what about that other show you used to watch? Primeval I think?" He added.

Jack chuckled. "Cate, any ideas of your own?"

"Well, I never really watched TV shows. I was more of a workaholic," she admitted.

Kyle chuckled. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now at least. Well, maybe not as often."

Jack nodded. "All in favor of going all out with the Replicator and making colonies in the deep ocean, space, other time periods, and creating a new source of energy and building materials that will never rust and actually _remove_ fossil fuels from the atmosphere?"

"Aye," The Imperial Family said in unison.

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Drew, Bebe, who was holding Kenzi, followed by Nzuri, and Adia turned a corner and saw the new Imperial Palace. It seemed to be made of metal, and was around three stories tall. Jack had asked them to meet him there a little while ago.

"Wow.." Adia muttered just above a whisper, in awe and curiousness of the giant structure before them.

Drew could only sigh, before knocking on the front doors. He had his own opinions on this place already, but he decided to keep them to himself.

Jack opened the door, and smiled. "Hey guys. Welcome."

He motioned for them to come in. It wasn't that over the top in terms of interior, in fact, it resembled a normal house on the inside.

"Quite the.. _unexpected_ interior for an elite palace." Drew observed, as he and his family all looked around.

Jack chuckled. "I'll get right to the point."

He took a deep breath. "We are going to begin a massive construction effort to repair and rebuild the world's cities. However, I wanted to make this offer to you first. I would like to offer you guys the right to live here. Alternatively, I want to offer you guys a house of your own design wherever you choose. You guys are practically family, and we want to help you."

Everyone else appeared to go into a bit of thought, but Drew responded almost immediately.

"No.." He said firmly. He didn't say it in a way that showed malice or hate, but in a way where he wanted to be sure his opinion was made clear. "As a matter a fact.." There was a bit of a pause. "I've already _started_ building us a house all our own.."

Jack cocked a brow. "Well, I just thought I'd make the offer. Best of luck though. I do want to ask if you guys could stay for dinner."

Satisfied that he had gotten his point across, Drew looked at his family for a visual hint of what they possibly thought.

Nzuri and Adia didn't show any sort of negative expression. In fact, it was the opposite. They were happy with whatever Drew and Bebe wanted to do.. They had _complete_ trust and confidence in them, after all.

Bebe, on the other hand, looked at Drew with a slightly confused expression.

' _He's been building us a HOUSE?'_ Bebe thought. ' _Probably just a way to get Jack off his back, but honestly, part of me hopes he's telling the truth.. A new house would be GREAT! That apartment always has been cramped up.. Especially now with Kenzi here..'_

Drew, having now a _vast_ knowledge in human emotion and the body's many expressions, seemed to catch onto this almost immediately.. He of course couldn't read minds, but he saw a bit of thought going on within her.. As if she was contemplating an idea..

He would have to talk with her about it later..

For now, though, he decided to finally give Jack an answer.

"We.." Drew began, looking for approval from everyone else. When they all nodded, he continued on. "We don't mind.. What's for dinner?"

Jack chuckled. "Well, me and the others have kind of been at an impasse on that front."

"Oh good." Bebe sarcastically said with a chuckle in an effort to lighten the mood a bit more.

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Jack followed Drew out of the dining room. "What is it?" He asked. His friend had asked to talk to him alone, and Jack was pretty sure he had an idea on what the topic would be.

"I saw the reports on what happened in Palestine.." Drew flat out said, getting straight to the point.

Jack cocked a brow. "You do know that no civilians were killed, correct? We did what was necessary. Rebellion can't be tolerated."

"I'm not here to argue.." Drew diffused that claim straight away. "I actually wanted to congratulate you on how well you handled that situation.."

Jack shrugged. "It wasn't me who solved that problem. Caesarius is the one you want to thank. He even personally led a hostage rescue."

Drew nodded.

"Agreed there.. But, even still.." He sighed. "I.. _overreacted_ , big time.. Back at the house? I said some things I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry.."

Jack looked at him for a moment, before sighing. "I'm sorry too. To you, to Bebe, to Adia. I was still in that same mode as I was in the war, when it was us vs. them...I shouldn't have treated you like an enemy. It's just...I came so close to losing Kyle, Amelia, Kylie, and Simba several times and..."

"Don't apologize." Drew bluntly told him: "I know how you feel.." There was a brief pause, before Drew added, "With that said, I _still_ think the idea of an Empire is flawed.. But if you all continue to handle things the way you did in Palestine?" Drew shrugged. "Maybe I could be proven wrong.."

Jack nodded. "The idea is flawed. But if executed correctly, it could be the path to a great future...For all of us...I do have to say that it's nice to see other opinions are out there."

Drew merely nodded, before silence followed for a few seconds.

"So, uh.." Drew began. "How's Kyle? Is he.. okay? I heard some psychopathic _clown_ attacked him? What happened there?.."

Jack sighed. "He's been having headaches. He's also been kind of tired. I..." Jack looked down. His face showed genuine pain and guilt.

"All that matters is that he's safe now.." Drew said. "You shouldn't blame yourself.. It's that fucking _clown's_ fault! I don't know _where_ these lunatics keep coming from.. He sounds _dangerous_.."

Jack nodded. "That's, not the only thing. He's feeling a lot better, especially after...what happened with his father. I haven't seen him so happy in a while. I just don't want to fuck it up. I love him, like you love Bebe, and...I just want him to be safe and happy. Hell, we're getting married soon, so...I just am nervous."

Drew didn't overreact in any way, as his discipline mostly kept him from doing so. Instead, he looked up at Jack with a neutral expression.

"Married? Congrats, man.. When is it?" Drew questioned.

Jack smiled slightly. "Probably a day or two. I wanted you to be there."

This time, Drew couldn't help but smirk.

"Gonna just spring this on a man a day's notice, huh?" He joked.

Jack chuckled. "We don't know for sure. We don't really want some big state wedding or whatever. We just want our close friends and family..." Jack stopped. "You guys, to be there. Kyle's...worried. He sent a letter to his mom to ask if she wanted to come to the wedding..."

"As he _should_.." Drew commented. Jack cocked a brow, before Drew began to explain further. "I- well.. a _friend_ of mine, had a conversation with her not too long ago.. After Gerald's murder.."

Jack sighed. "He deserved what he got."

Drew didn't reply immediately, his mind instead drifting back to that night.. That night when he, when _Batman_ , decided to pay Sheila a courtesy visit..

 _It was late at night.. Just a couple nights after Gerald's justified, yet gruesome demise.._

 _Batman had just left Jack's house after that.. HEATED exchange over this 'Empire' idea.. It was RIDICULOUS in Batman's mind! That would anger MANY people, wouldn't it?.._

 _That didn't matter right now, though.. Right now, Batman was on his way to interrogate Mr. Garrison.. Gerald had slipped out that not only Mr. Garrison, but ALSO Mr. Slave were involved with Kyle's rape! And probably MANY others around town over the past few years.._

 _He had overheard a conversation between Randy, Jimbo, and Ned at the barbecue before everything went downhill, that Mr. Garrison often drank at Skeeter's Bar every Friday night, as well as Stephen Stotch and Stuart McCormick.. But they weren't important in this situation.._

 _Upon entering the bar, Batman received a number of stares from the patrons inside, mostly bigger and stronger 'tough' guys that you would usually see, but he paid them no mind. He was instead on a mission to locate Mr. Garrison._

 _Right away, he saw Stuart and Stephen drinking away and carrying on a conversation._

" _Yeah, my son Butters, he- I think he's bi-curious, I-" Stephen began, before the two men looked behind them upon hearing approaching footsteps. They gasped upon being startled at the sight of him._

" _I'm looking for Herbert Garrison.." Batman told them in his deep voice. "Where is he?"_

 _The two men both gulped, not appearing to want to answer him._

" _Uh, I- I don't know where he is, I-" Stephen began, before Batman looked him dead in the eye. The bright red, demonic looking eyes on his cowl, locked with Stephen's brown ones._

 _That was enough to scare him into somewhat of a confession._

" _He- He said he was goin' outta town for tonight! Somewhere near Denver! Not in Denver.. I think, but- but somewhere near it! I don't know Bat-Guy! Honest! Garrison wouldn't tell me exactly where.." Stephen fearfully said._

 _Stuart smacked Stephen upside the head._

" _Ya weren't supposed to tell him, dumbass!" Stuart yelled. "Garrison gave us $20 to make sure we DIDN'T.." Stuart covered his mouth, upon realizing his slip up._

" _You gentlemen have a good night.." Batman simply uttered, before beginning to walk away. As he did, he noticed someone ELSE out of the corner of his eye.. Someone familiar.._

 _It was.._

' _Sheila?..' Batman thought to himself. 'Drinking at a BAR? I never took her for a drinker.. Not a heavy one at least.. But that half empty bottle of Scotch says otherwise..'_

 _Batman looked towards the exit for a bit, and then back at Shiela. She was crying her eyes out, continuing to drink her life away.. She was CLEARLY hurt and devastated by something.. Maybe even multiple things.._

 _Kyle's absence.. Gerald's murder.. Both were likely candidates.._

 _Batman sighed as he began to walk back towards the bar. His hunt for Garrison could wait a little while longer.._

 _Batman wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing this.. He never WAS good in emotional situations, but he could try his best.. He sat down beside her at around the same time ANOTHER man sat on the opposite end of her._

" _Hey there, baby.." The man smirked seductively. "Ya lookin' for a bit of fun?"_

 _Sheila looked over at him, absolutely stunned, unsure of what to say. That is, until Batman answered for her._

" _Beat it.." Batman coldly warned the man, looking at him with hostility. The man stood up out of his chair, his hands up in front of him._

" _Aw, it's cool, man.. I didn't know she was witchu, man.. Just.. be chill."_

 _He quickly ran away, so as to not get beaten up._

 _Sheila looked at Batman, her eyes widened. This whole situation.. It was just.. Unexpected._

 _But who cared? He had saved her from THAT encounter, so he couldn't be ALL bad, right? Besides.. she was probably drunk as hell by this point, and was seeing some weird bat for some reason.._

" _What...what do you want?" She asked._

" _For you to put the glass down.." Batman said. He then looked at her. "And a couple minutes of your time.."_

 _Sheila sighed, and put the glass down. "What is there to talk about…"_

" _I know it all hurts right now." Batman simply replied. "Losing your son one week, and your husband the next.. It must be really devastating.."_

 _Sheila shook her head. "I just...I know what he's done. To think that he could hurt my son so much..."_

" _Gerald deserved what came to him.. But with that said, the love you had for him over all those years must still linger within.." Batman looked over at her more directly now. "I just want to say that I know how that feels.."_

 _She sighed. "I don't know how he could do that...It...makes sense why Kyle trusted...him so much. All he'd ever talk about whenever he wasn't with Jack was Jack. I've seen them together. I can tell how much Kyle loves him, and...how much Jack loves Kyle..I should never have tried to split them up. But I just didn't want to see my bubbe hurt again..."_

" _That's what most without kids will simply never understand.." Batman said. "You do your best to protect them, even if it drives them away.. What matters is you did what you thought was right, and you stood by it.. I know Kyle understands that.."_

 _There was a brief pause, before Batman finished,_

" _Give him a call.. Go by his house.. Reach out to him. You'll only be drinking yourself into the dirt if you don't.. You'll never forgive yourself, or even heal properly. It has to be done.."_

" _I...don't want to hurt him again-" Sheila began, before Batman cut her off._

" _And you'll only be hurting him even MORE by not doing this.. As well as yourself.." Batman said. "He misses you, Sheila.. He misses you a lot.. More than he'll ever admit. You may question how I know all of this, or even who you are, but I am the protector of this town.. I am-" Batman paused for a bit, thinking back to what Wendy said. "I am this town's Dark Knight.. I only want to see the GOOD in this world.. Especially after recent events.."_

 _Sheila nodded. "I'll...try...Thank you..." She sent him a small smile._

 _Batman didn't say another word.. He instead gave a slight nod, and stood up from his chair, walking towards the exit._

 _On his way out, the guys who had given him the 'staredown' blocked his way._

" _Hey!" A man yelled. "We don't take KINDLY to bats around here.."_

" _Now, Skeeter.." The bartender meekly said. "He ain't hurtin' nobody."_

 _The man was about to throw another insult, but upon truly taking in just what he looked like, he began to back off. Batman's intimidating stare appeared to go right through his very soul.. This drunk redneck apparently wasn't ready to fight a 6' 3" pure muscled demonic looking bat man.._

" _I'll just be sittin' back down now.." The redneck said as he moved out of his way and sat back at his table._

 _As Batman exited the bar, the redneck's friend laughed at him with high pitched squeals._

" _Pussy!"'Mr. Sanders laughed as he took a drink of liquor. The marks on his throat were STILL there from his encounter with Jack.._

 _He shuddered at the thought, and took another drink.._

 _Long story short, Batman's hunt for Garrison didn't turn out as planned.. His trail went cold after almost all NIGHT of searching.. Even further attampts to locate SLAVE didn't go according to plan.._

 _Batman had to go home cold, tired, and disappointed.._

 _Out there, somewhere, Garrison was still on the loose.._

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Drew finally snapped out of his thoughts, and saw that Jack was looking at him, still expecting a reply.

"Ah, well, anyways.. I just hope that the conversation they had actually got through to her a little bit.. I always saw Sheila as a nice woman. Just a bit overprotective is all.. And for justifiable reason.." Drew said.

Jack nodded. "Considering what her son went through...Kyle has missed her. He really has..."

He was about to add something, when there was a tentative knock on the front door.

Jack looked at Drew curiously, before he asked. "Could you get Kyle please?"

Drew shrugged and simply walked out to go and get him.

Jack headed over to the front door, and sure enough, there she was.

He sighed, and opened the door. "Mrs. Broflovski." He said cordially.

Sheila nodded. "Is...is Kyle here, I want to talk to him."

Jack nodded. He turned to see Drew and Kyle in the hall. "Ma…?" Kyle asked, a bit hopefully, but also kind of nervously.

Sheila sighed. "Kyle, I am sorry for the way I acted. For...hitting you. I should _never_ have done that. I am truly, _truly_ sorry."

Kyle looked at her, awaiting for her to continue. "I was just...I was afraid. I just kept seeing what happened after...and I just couldn't stand to see my bubbe hurt again. But I should have given Jack a chance. And from what I've heard and seen, he seems to be a very good person, and...I trust that he'll keep you safe and treat you well. He already is from what I've heard."

Sheila sighed. "I am not asking you to come back, I am just asking you to let me back into your life."

Kyle was silent for a few moments, before he smiled slightly. "I will always love you ma."

She smiled, and mother and son embraced.

Jack smiled slightly, and as Sheila withdrew, she looked at Jack. "I am trusting you to protect my son. I am trusting you to keep him happy and treat him well. Please don't break that trust."

Jack nodded. "I would never hurt him."

He then stopped, and asked. "Would you like to join us for dinner? I think Kyle would like that very much."

Kyle smiled. "Yeah, and Ike too?"

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Drew couldn't help but grin slightly upon seeing the good mood around the dinner table. Kyle and his mom were getting along once again, his family and _Jack_ seemed to have patched some things up a bit.. It just felt like _old_ times! Before these _Replicators_ came into their lives..

"You seem happy.." Bebe commented with a grin of her own. She loved it when Drew was happy. It wasn't too _often_ that he showcased much happiness as of recently, mostly because of all the shit that was going on.

But to see him actually smile, such as when Kenzi was born or when he played his guitar? She _lived_ for those moments.. It inspired her to smile, _herself_.. The same applied when she saw Kenzi, Adia, or Nzuri smile. All she wanted was to see her family happy.

"I think Kyle and Sheila are _finally_ patching things up.." Drew smiled in response to Bebe's comment, talking in a whisper. "It's good to see everyone so happy and _peaceful_ after this bullshit war and political pissing match.."

Bebe nodded in agreement.

"You're right, there.. I'm finally _enjoying_ myself again.. I'm enjoying myself, knowing that I most likely won't have to _worry_ when the next gun will fire.. _When_ the next bomb will drop.. When the next one I love and care about will be _affected_.. It's.. truly blissful."

Drew gave Bebe a hug with a smile.

It was truly refreshing to see everyone in the mood they were right now.. It seemed as though _all_ their problems were over for the most part..

It seemed as though _nothing_ could ruin this day..

Everyone stopped when the nearby TV snapped on.

Jack turned, and what he saw was…

Quite unsettling righg from the _start_..

It showed three men tied up in three unstable wooden chairs, cuts and burns all over their body, unable to _move_!

It was in a dimly lit room, blood painting the concrete slightly with their blood and _teeth_..

The elephant in the room was what the three men were _dressed_ as: one on the left was dressed as Batman, the one in the center wearing similar apparel that _Jack_ usually wore, and the one on the _right_ in a Tony _Stark_ like suit, the same color and _model_ structure that _Alex_ usually wore..

Just what _was_ this?..

The men were _all_ crying their eyes out. They seemed to be in _immense_ pain..

Jack stood up. "Someone get the kids out of here..."

However, it was at that moment that they heard a _terrifying_ , familiar laughter..

"No.." Drew muttered where no one else could hear him. He stood up out of his chair, knowing full _well_ who this was..

" _Greetings_ South Park!" The familiar, _chilling_ voice of The Joker spoke, stepping into view of the camera, in front of the tied up men. " _Joker_ , here!" He looked at the men with mock pity and sadness. " _Aww_.. You all look so _sad_!.. Whatever is the _matter_?.."

The men cried even louder, fearing another move the clown might make on them.

Jack spoke on the communicator. "Lee, do you have a trace on this footage? I want-" He was cut off.

"And by the way, don't even _think_ about tracking me down.. _Batman_!" The Joker spoke. "Jack, Alex, Bob, Jimmy, _whoever_ the hell you are!" He then walked up to the camera and finished in cold seriousness. "Stay _out_ of my way.. Or these ' _poor'_ men.. _die_.." He burst into maniacal _laughter_ after his statement, making a complete 180 in a matter of a couple seconds!

Jack narrowed his eyes, while Alex looked on in malice towards the Joker and in helplessness for his victims.

"Th- They'll _find_ us.." A victim spoke up, his voice cracking in evident fear. It was the one dressed as Jack.

Joker 'comedically' put his hand over his mouth, and slowly turned around in 'shock'.

"Oh.." Joker began, walking towards the now shaking man now. "Oh _no_! They're going to _find_ me!? Oh this is _terrible_! I should rethink my actions _right_ now!" The Joker now laughed once again, clutching onto the man's face.

"J- Jack is one of th- the _symbols_ in this town that proves we d- don't have to be _scared_ of bastards like _you_!" The man bravely, yet shakily spoke.

The Joker could once again only laugh.

"Is that _so_ , Robert?.." Joker questioned him, which caused the man to gasp. "Tell me.. how are the wife and _kids_ doing? How is your _wife_ coming along in her third pregnancy, eh?.."

"N- _No_!" The man known as Robert screamed. "Don't _touch_ them you _basta_ -"

He was cut off when Joker hit him in the side of the head with a metal crowbar, knocking him to the ground, and causing a massive gash in the side of his head.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The Joker cackled as he swung the crowbar at him a couple more times.

Kylie looked away, on the verge of tears, causing Kyle to pull her into a hug. "It's okay. Shh..." He said softly.

"D- Daddy.. What is th- that man-" Adia began in absolute fear, before Drew told Nzuri.

"Get Adia out of here.. _Now_.." He then looked to everyone else. "Get these _kids_ out of here! They're _not_ going to see this!"

Nzuri picked up Adia by the scruff of the neck, while Kyle ushered the other kids out of the room.

Hesitantly looking back at the screen, everyone saw the man gasping for breath, shaking on the ground.

Joker grabbed Robert by the hair and pulled him up, whispering to him,

"Where are you so called 'heroes' _now_?.. Why aren't they _saving_ you?.. Why is your so called _God_ allowing me to torture innocent civilians? I _am_ your town's God now! I will bring it to it's _knees_.. And your heroes will do _nothing_ to stop me.. They _can't_.."

Bebe now began to tear up, laying her head down into Drew's shoulder, who held her tight. Drew _scowled_ at the screen. Joker would _pay_ for this! He was likely striking fear into _everyone_ in South Park!

"Th- They'll _come_!" Robert cried, doubt now setting in. "they'll come.." He whispered at the end.

Jack looked down. "Lee...find that signal and send us the location." He said firmly into his communicator.

"HAHAHAHA!" The Joker laughed once again, walking off camera to grab something. The man tried to crawl away, but The Joker quickly returned.

Robert flinched when Joker _swung_ something down at his head.

"Pew, pew! Fuh- _shoom_.." The Joker made sound effects, using Robert's plastic lightsaber that he carried with him, which looked very similar to Jack's.. The Joker chuckled once again. "Aw.. Did I _scare_ you, Rob? Lighten _up_ , pal.."

Joker grabbed Robert up to his feet and now held a pistol to his head. Robert screamed in fear, trying to escape, but he couldn't..

"N- _No_!" Robert screamed.

Drew slammed his fist on the table. This was simply _grueling_ to watch! How could one be so cruel?

"This is what will happen to these _other_ poor saps momentarily.. The _fun_ part is watching them _beg_ for their lives as you pull the trigger!" The Joker laughed once more at the end.

"N- _No_! Jack! Alex! B- Batman! _Anyone_! Save m-" Robert yelled out, before..

 _BANG!_

The blood _splattered_ to the ground, as well as some brain matter, before the man known as Robert slumped to the ground, dead..

Jack looked down, trying to compose himself. "I want that clown's head on a _platter_. No trial. No surrender. I want him _shot_."

"Ah, thanks for offering," Alex said.

Jack shook his head.

"Not in the mood for jokes right now..."

"No, I'd literally be happy to go over to whatever hole in which he dwells and just… ending him," Alex replied. "A psychopath is going round the town, killing innocent people. There is no room for forgiveness, there is no justice that will suffice. He literally needs to die as soon as possible," he added.

Jack nodded. "We're going to find him. And we're going to stop him."

Drew noticed the anger in Jack's tone, as well as a hint of...arrogance… He scowled slightly before The Joker spoke once more,

"Oh!" He began with a slightly giddy tone. "Or better _yet_ , I'll give you all a _chance_.. If you can find Mr. Robot and Mr. Batman, here, in time, they're free to go.. If not.."

Joker slid his finger across his neck, indicating that they would die.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The Joker cackled like a hyena. He then looked at the man's corpse. "Now.. How am I gonna clean this up?.." Joker looked around, before laying eyes on the man dressed as Alex. "You there, Robot! Lick this blood off the floor! Every last _drop_.. Batman, dispose of this body. If I return and I see or _smell_ a _trace_ of ol' Robbie boy here,"

Joker then clutched both of their faces at once.

"I'll make you _wish_ that you suffered _his_ fate.."

The men immediately obliged, tears in their eyes. Their eyes were puffy and their body was in _horrible_ condition! They were battered beyond _belief_!

Joker now faced the camera and finally finished,

"See ya soon, _Bats_.."

With one final cackle, the footage went to static, and the TV turned off..

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"What the hell was that?" Drew demanded.

Jack cocked a brow. "What are you talking about? I was giving the troops the orders to find and kill that clown."

Jack sighed. "Are you here to correct me yet again?" He asked it with a neutral tone, but Drew did notice annoyance in Jack's eyes.

"There." Drew pointed out. " _That's_ your problem! Do you know how _arrogant_ you're sounding right now? You show _no_ real fear or care in making this decision.. You aren't thinking, you're just _doing_! Think of all the _families_ of those troops you're sending out there! Troops that are most likely _not_ prepared for such an unpredictable and _dangerous_ adversary! Leave this psychopathic clown to the _Avengers_! To _Batman_! They deal with dangerous men like this all the ti-"

Jack sighed. "I am going to protect my people. I will _not_ show weakness. I am not going to call them to solve every problem..."

Jack stopped, before he felt a dull, aching pain in his forehead that slowly increased. Then, both were enveloped in darkness.

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When their vision cleared, they saw they were in a dark...cell. The walls were a sleek black, like obsidian almost. It was almost pitch black, with the only hint of light being a flickering, dim lamp above them. There was a door to their right, but no windows or cabinets or anything. Just the door and the obsidian walls.

Jack looked up, before he looked at Drew. And it was at that moment that Drew, for the first time, saw a hint of fear in Jack's eyes. "Where...where are we?" Jack whispered.

Drew looked around, taking in his surroundings. He felt uneasy about all this, and just how _unexpectedly_ this all happened! But as he had a great amount of discipline, he took some deep breaths and tried his best to remain calm.

"I don't know.." Drew replied. "A cell of some sort.."

Jack was about to reply, before the door opened, and…

"You're to come with me immediately..." The enormous, purple humanoid spoke with a malevolent smirk. Was that…

Jack's eyes widened. "Th-Thanos..."

"You know me, Emperor? I'm not surprised. The Dark Lord said you might..." He looked to Drew. "He knows about you as well, Drew King. He's most interested in your...exploits..."

Drew gritted his teeth at that statement.

"My _exploits_?.." Drew emphasized.

Thanos chuckled. "Yes...we've been watching you. _All_ of you. Your Empire, your friends, your loved ones..."

Jack gritted his teeth, but his attempt to not show his fear failed miserably. He said nothing, only looking away. "Come, the others would like to meet you. This is not a request."

Jack looked to Drew, before he followed Thanos out of the cell.

Drew noticed no-one else in the halls. It was empty, like a ghost town almost. Not a soul in sight…

Finally, they reached a large gate, and as it opened, Jack looked to Drew, and again, Drew saw fear in Jack's eyes. Very real fear…

The door finally opened, and a group awaited them on the side, sitting in a semicircle of thrones. The throne at the very center was vacant, however. Jack's eyes widened. He _recognized_ several of these beings.

Thanos took a seat, and Jack's eyes fell on two individuals in particular. A hooded, gnarled old man with burning yellow eyes, and…

Jack felt his protective instincts kick in, and he turned defiant as he met the dictator's icy stare. Hitler smirked slightly, but didn't utter a word.

Drew noticed two other individuals, one a bald headed man in a black suit and tie, and a man with greyish brown hair and a goatee. The second man appeared to be dressed in somewhat of a _military_ uniform.. It was made to be solid armor, and was made out of a very sturdy looking steel or metal. Both men looked very strong, though nothing crazy at first glance, and were well over 6 foot tall.

The two men stared at Jack and Drew, knowing and devious smirks on their faces.

"You think yourself safe..." Palpatine asked, standing up, causing some of the others present to laugh.

"Your Empire's crusade to rule your planet has not ended. In truth, it has barely begun..." The Sith Lord chuckled. "And you?" He asked Drew. "You try to hide your fear...But I can sense it. We _all_ can. Not for yourself..."

Drew scowled in return of his statement.

"How long do you think this will honestly last?" Drew asked Palpatine. "Because it _won't_ last long.." He tried masking his fear for his family's safety, but he left the smallest chink in the 'armor' of his emotion. There was a narrow gap that showed he was afraid of what might happen to them..

"Do you not fear death, boy?" Davy Jones asked. "Love..." He held up his hand, and a holographic image of Drew's family came into view. "Is a dreadful bond, but it's also one so easily severed…"

Drew widened his eyes at that. He now started to breathe heavier, attempting to struggle from the shackles they had put on him and Jack.

"You will not _touch_ them!" Drew firmly, yet fearfully warned.

Hitler finally spoke. "You speak so confidently..."

He looked to Jack. "But I see nothing but boys with a crown and a mask..."

He then added. "Don't fear, you will live long enough to see your families pass on..."

Jack struggled against the chains. "I'll fucking kill you! All of you!"

That earned a laugh from everyone present, with the bald man in a suit finally chiming in. It wasn't just any bald man. It was Lex Luthor.

"The only thing you're 'killing'," he began in a deep, calculated voice. "is your _family's_ chances of survival.. Witless _boy_.. You know _not_ who you're speaking to.. You'll realize _pretty_ soon who the ones in charge _truly_ are.." He scooted forward. "And it's not _you_.."

Jack's resolve fell a bit more, and he looked down.

"This is what you truly are. A scared, weak _child_." Palpatine snarled. "Both of you. Tortured pasts...fresh starts...don't think we don't know..."

"Do the names Dana and Landon mean anything to the two of you?" Thanos asked.

Jack froze in place, as did Drew..

Drew began to tremble, a _tear_ actually coming to his eye. Almost _immediately_ , his past began _flowing_ back to him..

All the nightmares..

The horrible _screaming_..

The _blood_..

It was all coming back to him.

Everything rushed back to Jack. Dana Beckett...his first love. He loved her as much as he loves Kyle now, and…

Jack looked down, on the verge of breaking down. "You weren't able to protect her...You had to watch as she was raped and murdered in front of you? You lied to your friends when you said you left California because of your parents...You left because you failed her..." Zod ridiculed Jack.

"And you...you were too _weak_ to stand up to your father.. So you instead let your _little_ brother take the heat _for_ you! You _let_ him die.. All the pain that should have been _yours_ , you instead let happen to _Landon_.. He's dead because of _you_.. If you had stood up to your father like a _man_ , he would still be alive today.." Davy Jones taunted.

Drew shook his head, trying his best not to listen. His hands were restrained, so he couldn't cover them.

"No.. _No_.." Drew muttered as the horrible memories continued to flow through his mind.

The sound of another door opening silenced _everyone_ however…

The silence was _deafening_ …

A figure clad in blood red robes stepped into view, with a mask that resembled that of Revan from Star Wars, but instead of being dark gray, it was silver, with a blood red stripe running down the middle of the mask.

"So...it's true..." The figure commented icily, in a tone that wasn't deep and commanding like Vader's, or arrogant and dismissive like Lex Luthor. No, this man's voice was a bit raspy, and and it sounded a bit like a snake's hiss almost.

The figure looked between them, "Drew King…" He began. "Your father was right...You are weak. You hide behind a facade. You lie to those closest to you. Wouldn't you agree Brandon?" He turned, and someone else entered the room.

Drew widened his eyes.

" _Brandon_?.." He muttered in disbelief.

' _No.. No this CAN'T be serious! They aren't actually talking about-'_ Drew's thoughts were cut off when _he_ stepped into view. He was actually there. The very man who abused him and his family for so long.. The man who had _killed_ his own _son_ and Drew's only brother!

He was here…

Drew looked at Brandon with…

 _Fear_.

Even though he was probably _more_ than capable of holding his own against him now, he just couldn't _stop_ the horrible memories from rushing back!

He felt like a little _child_ again.. _Defenseless_.. He couldn't move a muscle.

Tears began to fall from Drew's face as he began to back away from him. He wasn't able to move far, as Thanos and Davy Jones blocked his way.

"You're not going anywhere." Thanos calmly said. "Such weakness..."

Drew immediately shifted his gaze back to his father.. who was approaching him.

Drew gasped, unable to go anywhere. He was shackled, and he was blocked in! Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no way to fight..

"Hello, son.. How you've _grown_.." Brandon wickedly grinned. He spoke in a way that you just _knew_ he was planning something.

"N- _No_.." Drew said once again with his eyes closed, tears flowing down. "Y- You aren't _real_! You're in _prison_! You got the _life_ sentence! You aren't _here_!"

Drew denied it the best he could, but deep down inside, he knew that Brandon appeared just as real as anything else in the room.. He was there in the flesh.

Brandon grabbed Drew by the throat, and he gave that _same_ expression he _always_ had before he beat on one of them!

Drew actually began to _whimper_.. Like that of a scared _child_! Jack had _never_ seen or even _imagined_ Drew acting that way, _ever_!

"You listen and listen _good_ , you little _bitch_!.." Brandon insulted as he clutched his throat. He reeled his fist back and sent a good hard blow into Drew's jaw.

 _BAM!_

Drew fell to the floor in absolute pain, blood coming from his mouth and a sore, _throbbing_ pain radiating from the source of the punch.

"You're _just_ as weak and _pathetic_ as you were back then.." Brandon coldly insulted. "You think because you ' _help people'_ or ' _have a family'_ that you're magically _worth_ something now!?"

Brandon shook his head, sending a kick into the downed Drew's face.

 _BLAM!_

This time, Drew felt the very bone in his _nose_ shatter! Blood poured from his nose like a fountain, as he laid there in tear filled silence, taking the punishment in his father's words.

"WELL YOU'RE NOT!" Brandon yelled. "You're _nothing_! And you'll always _be_ nothing! You were a _mistake_ that _ruined_ my life! _All_ of you were!"

There was a bit of silence, before Brandon finished,

"And y'know what.. I wouldn't be surprised if that blonde _whore_ of yours and those _others_ you call family, saw _you_ as a mistake as well! They'll turn on you the _first_ chance they get after they realize just how _worthless_ you _truly_ are.."

Drew just laid there in silence, unable to say or do _anything_.. He just laid there, and he _cried_..

Cried like all those times _previously_ when he and his family were beaten and abused like they were _filth_..

Nothing's changed..

Jack looked to the red-clad figure, who approached him.

"I had to see for myself if it was true...even _now_ I can hardly believe my eyes..."

He circled Jack like a shark. "You have your mother's eyes..."

Jack froze. He looked at the figure, his mouth agape.

"What..?"

The figure looked at him, and brought his hands to his mask, and removed it.

Jack's eyes widened. Drew couldn't see the face behind the hood, only Jack's expression of pure shock, horror and pain.

"Hello...son..." The figure finally spoke, his mask no longer inhibiting his voice.

Jack looked away. "No...no! No!"

There he was, Brian John Anderson. Jack's father.

Brian chuckled malevolently. "Why are you so surprised, my son? What happened to the boy who I told all those stories to?"

Jack looked at him. "Those...those were _real_?!"

Brian nodded. "Indeed they are. You come from two strong State lines. You were going to begin your initiation on your eighteenth birthday, but then...the unfortunate incident occurred. You've done very well for yourself on your own, however. Not many could unite an Empire under their rule."

He looked to Drew, who was all softened up due to the blows Brandon administered, both physically _and_ mentally.. He was completely defenseless. "Now…"

He held out a black lightsaber hilt to Jack. Jack looked at it and then to his father in utter horror at the realization. "No...No I _won't_!"

Drew surprisingly didn't react much at _all_.. He didn't care if he lived _or_ died, really. After all that self therapy of what his father said or did over the years? It was all _gone_ in this moment.. Brandon had _shattered_ his will in half..

Jack looked to Drew, and to his father. "No..."

"You have no choice, my son...It is your _destiny_...If you don't end him, then we _will_."

Jack looked to Drew again. "Don't risk your family's safety..." Brian spoke, narrowing his eyes.

Jack, tears in his eyes, began to walk forward, activating the jet black lightsaber blade.

"Jack.." Drew softly spoke, catching his attention. "Just.. _do_ it.. I won't allow Kyle to get hurt.. Your _children_.. Don't let these fuckers _w- win_.."

Jack looked at him, and swung the blade. Drew closed his eyes. But the expected attack never came. Instead, when Drew opened his eyes, he saw Jack had crossed blades with own _father_ …

"Wha-" Drew began in confusion, before Brian snarled,

"You _dare_ -"

"I won't let you win." Jack said softly. "Even if I have to die trying..."

Brian looked at his son, before his eyes turned bright yellow. "Then you will _die_...There is no escape from us."

Everything went black.

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" _He's waking up.. Hey, guys! I think Drew's waking up!"_ Drew heard someone say. The voice was somewhat distorted and unclear, but that was due to the fact that he was just waking up.

" _Oh, thank God!"_ He heard someone else say. He knew _this_ voice to be that of Bebe! " _Drew, come on, babe! You can wake up! Come on!"_

She sounded _very_ worried, and somewhat mortified.. Her fear was _very_ clear..

Finally, Drew began to open his eyes back up, his first sight seeing his family standing over him, relieved smiles on their faces. Not only them, but Jack's family, Stan, and Kenny were there as well!

"Y- You're alive.." Bebe whispered in relief as she hugged Drew tightly, tears in her eyes.

"Are you _okay_ , Daddy?" Adia asked him with obvious concern.

"I.. I'm fine, Adia.. Daddy's okay.. Don't worry.." Drew forced a smile and petted her head reassuringly.

Adia still appeared concerned, but forced a grin of her own. She was just glad that he was _alive_..

Drew then felt a throbbing _pain_ surge theough his head, which caused him to lean back onto his pillow..

" _Oh_.. Ugh.." Drew groaned in absolute pain.

As he laid there, he then had a realization.

"W- Where am I?.." Drew questioned. "This doesn't feel like my bed.. I-"

Drew looked around and gasped when he saw that he was in a _hospital_.. He looked beside him and saw that _Jack_ was in a hospital bed as well, still unconscious.

"No.. No!" Drew yelled. "Get me _out_ of this place! _No_ doctors!"

Everyone was taken aback by his sudden risen voice and lack of will to be here. Bebe stepped up to him and said,

"We had no other _choice_! You and Jack were _freaking_ out! You kept screaming, crying, and uttering strange _words_.. You even slammed your face into a _desk_!"

Drew widened his eyes at that. He felt his face, and sure enough, the wounds were still there! The same ones that _Brandon_ had given him..

But now it seemed as though he hadn't been there at _all_..

"Wha… What?.." Drew whispered in disbelief.

"It's _true_ , dude!" Stan said. "Me and Kenny had to _restrain_ both of you guys to keep you from _hurting_ yourselves! It _wasn't_ easy, by the way.."

"As Bebe said, you kept screaming these words out, and it was just so _random_!" Kenny said. "Like.. You would scream at the top of your lungs, ' _Brandon! Brandon!'_. And another time you said, ' _Scarecrow! Scarecrow!'_.. I dunno what _that_ was supposed to mean, but it _freaked_ me the hell out, dude.."

Everyone knew why he would scream Brandon's name, as he appeared to have been in a nightmarish _trance_. Brandon _clearly_ had a memorable, yet _negative_ impact on Drew's life.. They decided not to mention it, so as to not trigger it again..

Drew looked down absolutely stunned.. He still clutched onto his head, as the headache hadn't completely subsided yet.

"Here.. I'll go ask for a Tylenol.." Bebe said as she exited the room.

As she did so, Drew became _curious_ for answers..

"S- 'Scarecrow'?.." Drew questioned, cocking a brow. "What the hell does _that_ mean?.."

Everyone shrugged.

"I have _no_ idea.." Nzuri now said. "I've never even _heard_ the term.."

"I have." Stan said. "But even still, it made _no_ goddamn sense at _all_.. What _happened_ , man? Did you guys take some sort of drug?"

"You didn't buy anything from _Towelie_ , did you?.." Kenny asked, slightly suspicious and worried.

"Towelie?" Drew questioned with a confused face. "Who the fu-" He shook his head. "Anyways, no.. _God_ no.. We didn't take any drugs.. We just sorta.. blacked _out_.."

"Hey! Jack's waking up!" Kyle suddenly piped up. Everyone quieted down, as Jack sat up. He had a brooding look on his face.

"Dad…?" Simba asked, nervous at his father's silence.

Jack looked to Drew, and the look on his face seemed to ask. "Did you see what I saw?"

Drew simply leaned back in his pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

"Thanos? Davy Jones? Lex Luthor? General Zod? Hitler?" Drew listed off some of the individuals that were there.

Jack closed his eyes. "Jack…?" Kyle began.

The TV screen suddenly turned on. "I know you're watching this..."

 **A/N: I am retconning Darth Maul a bit.**

Everyone turned to see a red and black tattooed, horned man standing in the town's square with a squad of what resembled Stormtroopers with jet black armor. "I know you spoke with the Dark Lords! Face me! Face me, or this town..."

He activated a blood red lightsaber. "Will _burn_."

The TV turned off.

Kyle, looked to Jack, as did the rest of his family.

"You gotta be fucking _kidding_ me!" Kenny blurted out. "How many of these freak shows do we _have_ out there!?"

Jack stood up, and began to walk off. "Jack where are you going?!" Kyle asked, following after him. Jack didn't answer, he just looked blankly forward as he grabbed his lightsaber from a nearby rack and began to exit the hospital.

"Jack! Answer me!" Kyle yelled.

Jack turned, and said to Kyle. "Stay here. I'm _not_ risking you or anyone else."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "We're not going to stand by and-"

Jack stepped forward, and used the force to close the door behind him, leaving a stunned Kyle.

"That wasn't a request."

Without another word, Jack walked off.

Kyle blinked, and tried to unlock the door. "What...what the hell is going on?!" He asked to no-one in particular.

"Why...what happened?" Kylie asked Drew.

Drew didn't respond right away, instead trying his best to stand up out of his hospital bed. Once he got to his feet, he began to stumble.

Everyone gasped in worry, and Stan and Kenny walked up to Drew, assisting him.

"You need to _rest_ , dud-" Stan began, before Drew shoved past him, appearing to be able to walk at least _somewhat_..

Drew walked up to Kylie and held out his hand.

"Earring.." He simply said.

Kylie blinked. "What-"

"Your earring.." Drew said. "Let me see it.."

She handed him the small earring.

Drew limped his way towards the door of the room and extended the earring out the _best_ he could, as straight as he could.. It was like a small makeshift bobby pin.

Since they were technically locked from the inside, this would make picking the lock _much_ more difficult and complex than it would _normally_..

Everyone watched in awe and even slight _wonder_ as Drew picked the lock! They never even knew he could _do_ that..

 _CLICK!_

After a few minutes, the lock _finally_ appeared to have been opened! When Drew attempted to open the door up, he found out that it _still_ would not open!

"Dammit!" Drew cursed.

Some of that Force energy that Jack used to pull the door shut must've affected and shifted the very _structure_ of the wood, which gave it a natural lock all it's own..

That's when Drew finally just _went_ for it..

 _BAM!_

Drew swung his shoulder into the door, in an attempt to break it down.

" _Agh_!.." Drew hissed in pain, as he had rammed himself _hard_ into the door.

"Drew, _stop_!" Kenny said, walking up to his friend. "You're gonna _hurt_ yoursel-"

"I'm _fine_.." Drew stated. "I'm close."

 _BAM! BAM!_

The door now had a sizeable _crack_ in it, and it was noticeably loose.

"Drew, _please_.. I-" Stan tried to convince, before Drew said,

"One more!"

 _BAM!_

The door finally _swung_ open and off its hinges, causing Drew to fall to the floor.

Drew gritted his teeth in pain as he landed, now clutching his shoulder.

"Drew, are you alright?" Kyle asked, trying to help him up, but Drew instead refused the help, using the wall to stand up on his own.

He hobbled his way over to Kylie and handed her the now mis-shapened earring.

"I'm sorry about the earring, Ky.." Drew told her by her nickname he often used for her. "I promise I'll buy you some new ones.. But at least the door's open."

"What's going on?" Kyle demanded forcefully, unnaturally forcefully by his usual standards.

"Kyle.. Just _chill_ , dude.." Stan softly said, putting a hand on Kyle's shoulder in an effort to calm him down. Kenny was close by just in case things got ugly.

"What _happened_? What is going on with you and Jack?" Kyle asked.

Drew patted Kylie's shoulder, before he turned around and limped towards Kyle, still clutching his shoulder in pain. Nzuri walked up to Drew and lifted her head up, in an effort to support him better. Drew accepted the help with a grateful smile.

He then sighed, remembering Kyle's question.

"What are you talking abou-" Drew began, before he was cut off.

"Why are you hurt and why is my fiance like that?" Kyle asked, looking Drew dead in the eye. "Don't lie, Drew." He said, slightly more softly.

Drew met his stare, as if challenging him. However, to everyone's surprise, Kyle didn't back down.. He kept the stare and stood firm..Even though he still looked up at Drew, he was still intimidating, in a way that was completely alien when it came to the redhead.

This earned a grin from Drew.

"Well played.." Drew simply said. "I'm impressed.."

Kyle clenched his fist. "Stop it with these fucking _games_!" He practically yelled, lunging at Drew while Kenny held him back.

Drew never even flinched. He instead just looked at Kyle. In a way, he was _worried_.. He _knew_ there was more behind this anger.. But even still, he was impressed Kyle actually stood his ground.

"The simple answer to your questions are this: I don't know.. Supposedly I slammed my head into a desk, even though I wasn't even _aware_ or _conscious_ of any of it.. That's where my injuries came from.. As for why Jack is acting this way.." Drew shrugged. "Beats me.. It appears we have both shared a common _nightmare_.. An _intense_ nightmare.. It felt so.. _real_.."

Kyle narrowed his eyes slightly. "I heard those names you mentioned...And people don't have shared nightmares..."

"Well.. I can tell you by experience that statement is _false_.." Drew said. "Jack and I witnessed the same thing.. We shared the same _nightmare_.. It all came out of _nowhere_.. I haven't a clue what caused it."

Kyle cocked a brow. "I heard one name you spoke, Brandon. And I heard you say 'Just.. _do_ it.. I won't allow Kyle to get hurt.. Your _children_.. Don't let these fuckers _w- win_..'.."

"Woah.." Stan said after the stunned silence. "I hadn't arrived yet when _that_ happened.."

"D- Daddy?.." Adia asked in her usual sweet, innocent voice. "What happened? Was Uncle Kyle and my cousins in _danger_? Is that scary _clown_ after the-"

Drew immediately cut her off, getting those fears out of the way.

"No, _no_ honey, no.." Drew softly reassured her, kneeling down. "God willing.. That clown will _never_ touch them, _or_ you.. You have my _promise_.."

He hugged Adia quickly, before standing back up to his feet in soreness.

"However.." Drew began. "There.. _was_ one other guy in the nightmare that wasn't mentioned.. I.. vaguely remember that it was _his_ actions that caused me to say what I did.."

"Who?" Amelia asked nervously.

"His name.." Drew began, looking down slightly. "was Brian Anderson.."

Kyle froze. "Jack's... _father?!_ " He asked.

Drew nodded.

"He told Jack to slaughter me where I laid.. Brandon had already _battered_ me into oblivion! I was _shackled_! Both physically _and_ mentally! I was defenseless.. _Vulnerable_.." Drew began to tear up again, but quickly hid it. "Anyway.. As I laid there, Brian _told_ Jack that it was his _destiny_ to kill me.. It was part of some 'initiation' for that group of _super criminals_.."

Drew went silent for a bit, before continuing.

"Jack was hesitant.. They threatened your _lives_.." He told Kyle. Drew then looked at Kylie, Simba, and Amelia. " _All_ of your lives.. I told Jack-"

Drew paused again, taking a deep breath.

"-I told Jack to just _kill_ me.. I didn't want you getting hurt.." He told Kyle and his family. "I didn't want Jack to lose the very ones he loves with all of his heart, because I _know_ what it's like.. I lost both my siblings, my _mother_.. The only ones who truly loved me throughout my entire life until I moved here.. I.."

Drew now felt a stray tear run down his face, finishing,

"I didn't want my family to lose you either.. _I_ didn't want to lose you.. These _psychopaths_ will do _whatever_ it takes.. And if it meant my death to keep my loved ones alive.. So be it.."

Kylie and Amelia began to cry, while Simba seemed to be on the verge of doing so himself. Even Kyle had a _horrified_ expression on his face. Stan shook his head in utter shock, uttering,

"Jesus _Christ_.."

Adia got up even _closer_ to Drew than ever before, glad he was _okay_ after all that.. She didn't want to lose her father! She loved him more than anyone..

"If only _everyone_ could have a heart as noble as yours.." Nzuri softly told Drew. "You're one of a kind.. I know how much you care about everyone.. Even if you don't even truly _know_ them that well. I realized that after the day you _saved_ me from that deranged man.. I'll forever be grateful for that.." She ended with a smile.

Drew slightly grinned in return, before his expression went back to one of pure seriousness.. He looked at Kyle and said,

"Jack refused to kill me.. He's a _fighter_ , just as I'm sure you know.. After that, we just sorta.. woke up _here_.."

Kyle blinked. "He refused to kill you when there was clearly no other option...Even when his own father-"

Drew said nothing, only looking at Kyle, allowing him to process all of this and take it all in.

Kyle looked down. "I...My god, he's out there right now and he's going to get hurt because of this! We _have_ to help him, somehow!"

"Unless he's some sort of _god_ ," Drew began seriously. "there's no way in _Hell_ that Jack is fully recovered from whatever just happened to us! Even my _lungs_ are on fire! It's as if I inhaled some sort of strange _poison_.."

"And if he's that weak now, that guy...he's going to _kill_ him!" Kyle said, paling, before he rushed out of the door after Jack. He ran past a now returning Bebe, who had some Tylenol for Drew.

"What the-" Bebe widened her eyes in shock.

"Kyle!" He heard the voice of Kenny yell after him.

But he didn't care what happened.. Kyle just _couldn't_ lose Jack.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group walked towards the townsquare, filling Bebe in on everything on the way. Needless to say, it was emotional for her.. She saw Drew's actions as noble, but she also feared for his safety as well. Once there, they didn't see the man from the TV, but a man who looked _just_ like Jack, except he wore red robes…

Drew froze. It was...Brian…

Brian Anderson stood over his son, who was lying crumpled on the ground.

"You _fool_..." Brian snarled, sending _black_ force lightning into his son's body. "Your feeble skills are _nothing_."

Kyle froze as he and Jack made eye contact. Brian followed his son's line of sight, and his eyes fell on Kyle.

He grinned evilly. "The boyfriend…" He mused. He looked to the others, who could only look on in shock and fear.

The man Drew described from the nightmare..

He was real..

Brian's eyes fell on Kylie, Amelia, and Simba. "I am disappointed in you, son." He said to Jack, as if he was scolding a toddler. "Strong state families need to be by _blood_. Adopting heirs is useless. As is marrying a spouse who can't produce heirs..."

He then turned serious. "You will have to start fresh."

He began to walk forward. "I must say, you choose the most effeminate boy in the world to be your spouse. Why couldn't you just fuck a flat chested girl?"

"That's _enough_.." Drew spoke more closer to his Batman voice now. It wasn't enough to give it away, but it was enough to show that he had that same level of _command_ and _power_ in his voice.

"Drew, _no_!" Bebe tried to stop him, as Drew limped over towards Brian, his shoulder and head still causing him a great deal of pain.

Brian cocked a brow, slightly taken aback by the force of Drew's order, but he composed himself quickly. "You think that you have a chance boy? I must say, you impress me. But you will die nonetheless. At least you will die braver than most."

"Well then.." Drew spoke with that same voice. He held his arms out to his side, as if ushering him in for an attack. "I'm _ready_.."

Brian blinked, genuinely stunned by Drew's defiance. He enjoyed torturing his victims. When they showed no fear however…

Still, he had a job to do.

He raised his black lightsaber, as Drew assumed a fighting stance.

Everyone else looked on in horror, thinking Drew was actually going to _die_! After all, as far as they knew, he could no longer _fight_..

It was then that another surge of pain went through Drew's body, causing him to groan in pain, and to lower his guard and leave himself vulnerable..

Brian leapt forward, and swung the blade at Drew's torso, before out of _nowhere_ , a crimson blade got between them, saving Drew.

 _No-one_ noticed Vader as he locked his saber with Brian.

Vader got between them. He held out his hand to Drew, who felt his pain evaporate instantly.

Drew now felt better than ever! Vader had quite the healing touch, it seemed..

Even though he was _more_ than capable of putting up a fight now, due to his injuries being healed, Drew decided against it.. He had an identity to protect, and more importantly, a _family_ to protect..

Drew decided to let Batman sit this one out.. Vader could handle this one. He ran back over to his family and group of friends as Brian and Vader faced off.

Brian narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as he withdrew back a bit. Vader stepped forward, and with more speed than _anyone_ had seen in _any_ Star Wars movie, he lunged.

Brian was thrown back by the force of Vader's offensive, and was forced to retreat beyond Jack as Vader continued to rain deadly, _powerful_ attacks against him. Red clashed against black as Brian struggled to defend himself. However, Vader halted as he moved past Jack, and repeated the process he had with Drew. Jack stood up.

Jack was about to offer Vader his own lightsaber, but the Sith Lord declined. "All I need is _one_."

Brian narrowed his eyes, and rushed forward. He fought with a mix of heavy and fast attacks, but Vader was able to block every strike. They exchanged strikes several times, before Brian turned to see an entire squad of Imperial soldiers, backed up by a tank, as well as Thor.

Brian withdrew slightly.

"And now, I will accept your surrender on behalf of the United Terran Empire." Vader snarled, raising his blade towards Brian's throat. The soldiers aimed their guns at Brian, while Thor began to move to join Vader.

Brian looked between the two, the soldiers, and the group. "This isn't over..." He snarled, and he disappeared in a rush of black smoke.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack rested against the hospital bed, still reflecting on all that had happened. Their families and friends had to leave earlier, and the two were alone.

For the first time in a while, Jack spoke. "Drew?"

Drew simply turned his head towards him, looking at Jack from the corner of his eye. Jack sighed softly, and spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened back there...For what we saw, for what my... _father_ did. For putting you and everyone else in danger. For everything..."

The way he spoke was softer than Drew thought he ever had Jack spoke. There was no authoritative and command in his voice. No confidence. Just...sadness. Drew had seen Jack beaten plenty of times in all the fights in the last few months, but this was different. He had never seen him _vulnerable_.

"All that matters now is that no one got seriously hurt.." Drew told him. "What _I'm_ worried about is just how _real_ that nightmare could've been.. Your father is now revealed to have been real.. Who's to say any of those others aren't out there as well?.."

Drew shuddered in slight uneasiness and fear.

"Even _Brandon_.." He muttered.

Jack closed his eyes. "I don't think you ever told me about what happened with him. I know it was painful, but..." Jack stopped. "If you don't want to talk-"

"And I _don't_.." Drew confirmed with firmness. Not anger, just simple firmness that he didn't want to relive the trauma. He then sighed. "Perhaps Bebe or Stan or someone could tell you if you're _that_ curious.. But as for me, that's a dark chapter in my life that I _never_ want to return to.."

Jack sighed. "I won't ask them to. It's your place and your place alone to tell me or not. I won't ask you to..."

He hesitated a bit, closing his eyes. "Do you know why I care so much for Kyle? Why I am so protective?"

"Because you love him?" Drew threw out there. "As you should.. Bebe is the love of my life.. I would do anything to see her happy and safe.. As I know you would do for Kyle.." He turned to look at Jack. "Was that it?.."

Jack closed his eyes, and nodded. "Not just that...I've only loved one other...Her name was Dana Beckett. We were friends since elementary. We started dating in Eighth Grade...And we sometimes talked about our future. We had our fights, as all couples do, but...we never hurt each other. And one day, we were coming home from a date. This was a year before I came to South Park...And..." Jack froze, on the verge of tears.

"These people, these vile people mugged us. I tried to protect us, but I was too weak. They knocked us out, and I had to...watch as they raped her. I had to watch as they killed her. They didn't need her at all, they just wanted to get a ransom from my parents. They didn't have to. But they _murdered_ her and discarded her like trash...My parents gave them the money they wanted, and..."

Jack looked down. "They were gone not long after. I just couldn't stay in California, because all I had loved there was gone...And then I came here, and met two people I love like brothers. And I met someone who I love as much as _her_. But every day I think of my failure...and whenever Kyle is hurting or scared or nervous, I just...feel so _useless_. I couldn't lose him. If I did, it would kill me."

Drew sat up in his bed, taking in all what Jack had just told him.. There was much more to Jack's story than originally met the eye. He had _no_ idea..

"I'm.. sorry for your loss.." Drew quietly said. "I know what it feels like to feel useless.. To feel _weak_.. I watched my very own _brother_ , my best _friend_ as a kid-" Drew hesitated before continuing.

Did he _really_ want to retell this story again?.. Even when he said he didn't want to?..

Drew clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, deciding to push forward.

"My father, _Brandon_ ," he spat his name in malice and hatred. "he _stabbed_ my little brother _48_ times until he _died_!.." The tears freely flowed, but Drew kept an angered expression. "Landon did _nothing_ but protect me from my father! He was going to _beat_ me! Beat me _badly_! He beat on us _all_!"

Drew sat back, putting his hands over his face.

"He.. He fucking _took him from me_!" Drew yelled. "He took one of the only ones I ever truly cared about, his own _son_ , and _killed_ him like a _dog_!"

Jack looked down, and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Neither Landon nor Dana deserved any of that..."

He looked at Drew. "I swear to fucking Christ that I'll do _everything_ in my power to protect our _family_. Bebe, Kyle, Kenzi, Kylie, Adia, Amelia, Simba, Nala, Nzuri, Alex, Cate, their children. _All_ of them. Neither of us deserve anymore pain. None of _them_ deserve anymore pain..."

Drew dried up his tears and prepared to stand up out of his hospital bed. Vader had healed his injuries, as well as Jack's, but he _still_ felt exhausted.. Both from a lack of sleep in general, as _well_ as the after effects from this speculated ' _toxin'_ that they inhaled into their lungs..

"And they _won't_!" Drew promised as he faced the door. "They _won't_ suffer! _Nothing_ will happen to them so long as I draw breath.. I'd _die_ before I let that happen.."

Jack nodded. "Drew, I _know_ we've had our share of disagreements and arguments, but..." He hesitated. "with all that's going on: The Joker, the wars, and even my own father, I don't think Alex and I can do this alone. We've been trying to bear the weight of the world on our shoulders, but we forgot what's most important. We need to make the world a better place...So no-one goes through what we and so many others have gone through...I...want you to help us just _try_ to change the world. To make it a better place. For our children, for all of us."

Drew stopped at the doorway.

Three words stuck out in his mind.

" _change the world.."_

Drew couldn't help but sigh, beginning to think of his response carefully.. Should he do it? I mean.. he was _already_ doing so as Batman, but even _still_.. No one knew it was him.. Besides _supposedly_ those villains from earlier! He hoped to _God_ they didn't..

He did it originally to protect his family, as if anyone evil discovered the Batman's identity, it could and would fall back on _them_..

But.. this was _Jack_.. He _trusted_ him, right? Of course he did.. But.. Did he trust him enough for _this_?..

Drew mulled the thought over, before tossing it aside.

' _No!'_ Drew thought. ' _They can't know! None of them can.. It's too dangerous..'_

However.. perhaps he could help Jack out with assisting the world.. in his _own_ way!

Sure, Batman was already doing more than his part in that area.. But Drew _was_ not! He couldn't just sit around and do _nothing_! It would perhaps draw more suspicious than doing nothing at all..

Making a decision, Drew turned around and replied with a small grin,

"I.. would _like_ that.."

Jack smiled slightly. "That just gives us more insurance, because if one Emperor turns evil, the other two can still _stop_ him."

Drew sighed.

"That statement is very true, but.." He looked up at Jack. "Why an Emperor? I'm not.. _prepared_ or even _worthy_ of such a position.. What makes you think _I_ could ever be an Emperor over the entire _world_?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Drew, you of all people _deserve_ a say in how the world works. I want you _and_ Bebe to be with us to be the voices of _reason_. You know me, a rich kid who has no idea how most people live," he said sarcastically. "And Alex is too idealistic for his own good. He's booksmart, as am I, but we're not _nearly_ as streetsmart as you. And sometimes intuition, pragmatism and will can be just as powerful weapons as knowledge and training. I want someone on the throne to be there to hold Alex and I back from making a stupid decision."

Drew walked up to Jack in silence. The tension was building in the room.. What would he say?

After a couple seconds, Drew put his hand on Jack's shoulder, which caused him to look up at him with anticipation in his eyes.

After much build up and deliberation, Drew finally responded,

"Consider me there.." He then smiled. " _Brother_.." Drew emphasized.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex and Cate had returned not to long ago from their trip to Britain. Needless to say, Alex was _pissed_ that he wasn't there to help his friends.

"From what Jack told me, he had quite a different type of family reunion than we did," he commented.

All three families, as well as Stan and Kenny, Wendy, Caesarius, Carandial, Thrawn, Grant, Lee, Rommel, Vader and the Avengers were gathered for the supposed announcement.

"What do you think it is?" Kyle asked Bebe while pacing around. He was nervous. After all that had happened, who could blame him.

"I'll be honest, Kyle.." Bebe sighed with slight worry and anticipation as well. "I have no idea.. I can only hope it's actual _good_ news.."

Finally, the two walked into view, Jack looking a bit more calm now. The fight from earlier obviously still affected him, but he seemed a bit better.

Drew didn't seem all that affected, at least as much as he should. He mainly was just exhausted from a lack of sleep and from being infected by that toxin for as long as he did.. Drew certainly _looked_ noticeably tired..

"My God.." Bebe said with a sigh of worry once more. "I _swear_ when we get home, I'm _making_ him take a nap! He _needs_ it.."

Kyle hesitated before approaching Jack, though Jack looked down guiltily. Kyle blinked, before he walked forward and hugged Jack silently. "I'm sorry." Jack whispered softly. He shared a brief, knowing glance with Drew, before saying. "Everyone, I have an announcement." He turned to Drew, and tried to find a way to explain it, before he decided it was better if Drew was the one to break the news. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, and simply nodded.

"I've decided.. to become one of the Emperors of the Empire.." Drew bluntly announced.

Everyone gasped in utter disbelief.

"WHAT!?" Bebe exclaimed. She couldn't believe her _ears_! She was _definitely_ not happy about that, as Drew _knew_ she wouldn't.. But once he explained his reasoning for it, and she had time to process it, he was sure she'd be more accepting of the idea.

Jack simply nodded, confirming Drew's statement. Alex and Cate, for their part were also shocked. Despite his speech about how the Empire was a pointless idea doomed to herald disaster, he was now one of the three most important figures in the establishment. Nonetheless, they were happy that he had made this decision and were proud to call him and Bebe co-emperor and co-empress. Even _if_ Bebe still immensely resented the idea right now..

"I'm glad you could join us," Alex said.

"I accept this position.. not for a feeling of power. Not as a means to an end.. I only accept it for _one_ reason only.." Drew continued to explain. Bebe cocked a brow with her arms crossed, still pissed off that he made such a rash decision without telling her.

Drew looked at Bebe as he continued,

"I accept my position as Emperor, because I want to see the world _whole_ again.. I want to see the world at _peace_.. A world with no _war_ , no _hunger_.." He sighed. "Do I think an absolute Empire is the way to go? Did I change my mind? Hell _no_ , I didn't! I still believe it to be a _flawed_ concept.."

Bebe cocked her head to the side with an expression of confusion, as did his family and everyone else. They weren't sure where he was going with this..

"However," Drew decided to get to the point of what he meant. "I _do_ think that there's _potential_! So long as I'm there, so long as I keep everyone in check, as they will me? If we work _together_ as a unit?.. I think the world can be a _much_ safer place to live in.."

Drew looked at Bebe with a smile as he finished,

"We could bring towns like _South Park_ to the way they _used_ to be.. A peaceful, tranquil place worth living in.. A place where our _children_ can play, where our _neighbors_ can be there for one another, and where our _stranger_ is our _brother_! Is our _sister_! Where we can _finally_ , for perhaps the _first_ time in history.. actually _love_ one another as one, united people.."

Bebe grew a wide smile. She was simply _stunned_ by Drew's reasoning for all this! She.. didn't know what to _say_! He was doing this.. to better the world. To better South Park. To better everyone..

As skeptic as she still was, she at least started to _see_ where Drew was coming from now.. She could at least.. give it a shot.

Kenny was just as skeptical as Drew and _Bebe_ were of the idea of an absolute empire, but even _he_ was influenced by Drew's words.. He decided, if anything, he could at least give it a shot as well, just as Drew and Bebe were..

Perhaps this could be the dawn of a new beginning.. A new era..

An era of peace..


	13. Chapter 12, Why So Serious?

Kyle watched the snow fall through the dark night air. He always felt...lonely this time of year. It was Christmas time. And it was always the same for him. It always brought feelings of being left out, of being forgotten, of…

Kyle frowned. The worst part wasn't that, however. It was that _it_ happened just days before Christmas. Today was the three-year anniversary of his rape. When his innocence was taken from him. When he was reduced to a broken, scared wreck. It hurt all the more now that he knew his father was the one who did it. His own father had _destroyed_ him. Had Stan and Kenny and his mother not been there for him, he might have ended his life long ago.

He never thought he'd find _him_ when school started.

 _School was painful for Kyle. It always was. He knew that he was the subject of countless rumors. He knew that many suspected he was the first one to have been raped. But he hadn't been the last. No, many others followed._

 _That fact was the greatest reason why he was like this. He always feared that one day, they'd come back for him. That he'd go through that pain all over again. That he'd be used the way he was._

 _His parents had always been there for him, as were Stan and Kenny but it wasn't enough. They couldn't ease the pain. They couldn't change what happened. The scars would always be there. When he was asleep he dreamed of that horrid night. When he closed his eyes he saw them over him. When he felt a touch he'd feel_ their's _. He couldn't go out at night. He couldn't watch the news because there was always that chance_ another _would go through that agony, and he'd relive it all over again._

 _It didn't help that he_ knew _how weak and vulnerable he really was. For a seventeen year old guy, he was tiny. He had stopped growing at a humiliating 5'5 in Freshman year. He was skinny, and pale. He had tried so hard to get stronger, but he could never gain any muscle. He_ hated _himself. He knew his friends and family_ pitied _him. They knew he could never defend himself. With his pixie figure and lack of strength, he was an easy target._

 _That was the reason it likely happened. They_ knew _he could do_ nothing _to fight. When it happened, he couldn't do a damn thing. And when he realized that, he didn't resist, he just prayed it would be over. The fire lasted for what felt like an eternity, and when it finally ended, they left him there, in the snow for Stan and Kenny to find him._

 _Despite this, Kyle still wanted_ more _than just pity. He wanted to find_ love _. But no matter how much he searched, he found nothing. He had looked at both Stan and Kenny a few times, but he realized very quickly that they never loved him in that way._

 _In a small town like South Park, aside from Tweek and Craig, there weren't any options. And considering the way he was, he doubted he'd ever be able to leave this town. He was just to broken… He was terrified that if he went beyond South Park, he'd go through something like this all over again…_

 _Sure, there were the occasional new kids that arrived every so often, but none of them caught his eye._

 _Now, here he was, starting Junior Year, and-_

" _You good?" Someone asked._

Jack was different. He caught Kyle's eye almost immediately. He wasn't an asshole like many of the kids at his school. He also _didn't_ treat him like he was made of glass. He was handsome. He stood around 6 feet even, had dirty blonde hair, fair skin, small but noticeable muscles and kind, blue eyes.

He was kind. Kyle learned that very quickly. Every time they hung out, Kyle found himself more and more in love with him. He noticed all the little things he did. The way he bit his lower lip when playing a game. The way he laughed. The way he smiled.

Despite all this, Kyle knew Jack would never go for him. When Drew asked Jack about the girl he liked, Kyle felt like he had been slapped in the face. Then, for a split second, he and Jack made eye contact. Then Jack looked away, and in that moment, Kyle had felt his heart skip a beat.

Then, just before the fight, he finally realized that Jack truly _did_ like him.

Ever since, Jack had stood by him. Jack had made good on his promise to stand by him. All the times Jack had held him when he was scared, had given him amazing gifts like that trip to Disneyland or that wonderful dinner they had gone to, and especially just those moments when he was there.

Jack didn't judge him. He didn't belittle him. He didn't _hurt_ him. Jack healed him so much. He was his knight in shining armor. And through all the shit they had been through after they found the Replicator, he had been there.

Kyle's favorite memories were when he could lie beside Jack, feel his arm wrap protectively around him and shield him from all the pain and evil of the world, and hear his heartbeat, which relaxed and soothed him like nothing else could.

When they had adopted Simba, Kyle felt something new glow inside him. He adored the cub. Simba was his son, and he couldn't be more proud of him. Simba would grow to be a strong and wise Emperor one day. Every single day he couldn't help but reflect on how proud he was to be able to say that Simba was his and Jack's first child.

When he had found Amelia, he had felt more confident. Amelia was his little girl, and he loved her so much. She was a perfect blend of him and Jack. And he'd always love her. No matter her age, she'd always be the little girl he had raised.

And Kylie. She was his spitting image, and no-one perhaps knew him like she did. That made sense, considering they were practically the same person. They could talk about anything. Kylie had told him how...her version of Gerald had forced her to basically be a boy, and how only now could she be who she truly was…

Even Rexy, who would likely have to leave the house soon considering how big she was getting, was special to him. She was the family's beloved pet, and no dog or cat could possibly replace her.

Kyle loved his family more than he thought he ever could. They had healed his scars so much. They were his everything. Jack could forge a thousand empires, could fight in a thousand wars, but Kyle would know him first and foremost as _Jack_. Not Jack the Emperor. Not Jack the Jedi. Not Jack the General. But as Jack _his_ love, his hope, his savior.

Strong, brave, and heroic Jack.

Smart, brilliant, and intelligent Jack.

Funny and laughing Jack.

Kind and loving Jack.

The one who had carried him from hell itself all the way to heaven.

Jack, the one who had healed him.

Kyle stood up, and for the first time, the pain was _gone_. The memory was there, but for the first time, he didn't let it break him. He took a deep breath, and said softly.

"I won't let you break me. I _won't_ let you win."

The door opened, and Kyle turned to see Jack looking at him curiously.

Kyle walked forward, and embraced Jack. He didn't cling to him like had after his mother had slapped him. He didn't break down like had all those times before. There was no pain here. Just pure bliss.

Jack returned the hug, and Kyle finally felt at peace. He wanted to help Jack however he could. He was _done_ being weak. He wanted to fight _beside_ Jack and Alex and Drew. He would stand strong, as a _man_.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

' _17.. 18.. 19..'_ Drew thought to himself, counting his reps while lifting a barbell at the local South Park Gym.

Him and Bebe decided to start going since it had been awhile since they've truly had a regular workout routine. Drew always kept in shape, but admittedly, besides his time as Batman, he wasn't near as active as he was.. And it was beginning to show.

Not wanting his muscular physique to shrink any further, Drew hit the barbells straight away. He started lifting a total of 200 pounds in weight. Definitely a _lot_ for the average man, but he was still extremely strong, even _if_ he had slipped up a bit for the past month.

"Come on _slowpoke_.." Bebe teased with a grin. "You got this! You're at 28 now.."

Drew rolled his eyes with a slight smirk of his own, breathing at a controlled pace from his mouth. With that, he finished up his reps.

' _29.. 30..'_ Drew thought as he finished up. After putting the barbell up, Bebe told him,

"Great job, Babe! See, I _knew_ you could do it."

"So did _I_.." Drew replied with a grin. "I was only out of the gym for a _month_ , y'know.."

Bebe shrugged, that smirk still on her face.

"Well, a month can do a lot."

"Is that an insult?" Drew laughed, noticing her joking tone and demeanor. "I'd love to see _you_ try and lift this.."

Bebe rolled her eyes, lightly slugging Drew in the arm.

"Whatever, asshole.."

Both lovers gave a laugh, before they embraced, giving each other a quick peck on the lips.

"Okay.." Drew said. "What's next? I think cardio would be-" Before he could finish, he cut himself off when he heard a bit of a commotion not too far away. Like the sounds of a large crowd.

Then, they heard the sound of a lightsaber activating, and a few people cheering a bit.

Drew instinctively widened his eyes and looked at Bebe, noticing her doing the same thing. The two quickly rushed over towards the crowd of people to get a quick glimpse at what was going on.

For all they knew, it could be another attack of some sort!

However, when they got there, they saw Jack and _Kyle_ were standing in the middle of the basketball court. Kyle was holding Jack's lightsaber. Jack nodded. "Alright, now let's start with this."

He pressed a button, and a small robotic ball flew into the air. Kyle held the lightsaber up.

"What on _earth_ is.." Bebe quietly muttered, before she trailed off, watching Kyle make his first move. He stood at the ready, and the ball hovered a bit, before firing a laser. Kyle tried to block it, but it singed his shoulder.

He flinched slightly, but didn't seem hurt.

He sighed, looking disappointed.

Jack turned the ball off with the remote, and said gently. "Come on, I know you can do it."

Kyle still looked unsure. Jack turned around, and pulled up a helmet. "What are-how am I supposed to see through this?"

Jack sighed. "As a wise Jedi once said, stretch out with your feelings."

Kyle sighed, and raised his lightsaber again. "Thank you Master Kenobi..."

Still, he awaited the ball's movements. It flew around a bit, before it fired. This time, Kyle blocked it, as well as the next three bolts. Jack grinned. "I told you could do it."

Drew couldn't help but push past the crowd of people, Bebe following not too far behind, and towards Jack and Kyle.

"I didn't know this was a Jedi Gym as well?" Drew introduced with a slight grin, making his and Bebe's presence known.

Jack grinned, while Kyle took off the helmet. "Hey guys, I see you both had the same idea we had."

Kyle shrugged. "He dragged me here because he thinks I might be a good Jedi..."

He seemed a bit down when he said that. Jack frowned, and was about to reply, before Drew beat him to it.

"And you _can_ be.." Drew told Kyle with a serious, optimistic tone. "You just have to believe in _yourself_ that you can be.. Cliché, I know, but it's true. To be truly good at something, you first have to have confidence in yourself, otherwise how else will your peak performance show up? You miss 100% of the shots that you _don't_ take.."

Drew then grinned slightly.

"But for every shot you _do_ take, there's always that chance of making the goal.."

Drew had always been one of Kyle's biggest believers from the start, and has had nothing but confidence in Kyle's desire for wanting to be a 'stronger' man who can stand up for himself. And Kyle _knew_ that..

Kyle smiled, and nodded. "Thank you. I will definitely try."

Jack's face fell a bit when he noticed Kyle's smile towards Drew, but he quickly regained his composure. "Perhaps...something a bit more personal? A bit more your own?"

Drew noticed the slight change in Jack's demeanor before he had said that.

Before Drew could respond, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Drew's eyes widened slightly, turning around in shock to see a familiar face.

"Drew, mate! There ya are!" Mark Hunt said with a grin. "Rememba' me?" He asked in his Australian accent.

Drew laughed in return and the two gave each other a quick embrace of respect.

"Well of course I do, I-" Drew said with a smile, lost for words. "What are _you_ doing here, man? Is something going on?"

Mark Hunt nodded.

"Thought ya might need some help for ya next training camp.. Didn't you hear?"

Drew cocked a brow, but also appeared surprised.

"Training camp?.." Drew questioned. "No, I didn't hear. I- What's going on?"

Mark Hunt responded simply.

"Turn on any major sports channel.. Almost _guarantee_ it'll be on there. Literally the entire _world_ is going nuts over the news!"

"The whole _world_!?" Drew questioned in shock. He looked around frantically, before he spotted a small TV in the corner of the gym. It was in the lobby area, rather than where actual work outs happened.

The group walked over towards it as Mark Hunt introduced himself to them.

"Mark Hunt, by the way.. Former UFC Heavyweight. You Drew's lady?" Mark Hunt asked Bebe with a chuckle.

Bebe blushed, but responded with a grin of her own.

"Sure am! Nice to meet you, Mark. I saw you and Drew's fight at the event.."

"That so?" Mark Hunt asked. "Well I hope you enjoyed it. That kid has a _hell_ of a right hook, I tell ya!" He ended with a laugh.

Mark Hunt then looked at Jack and Kyle.

"Are you Drew's mates? Mark Hunt.." He introduced to both of them, extending his big arm.

Jack grinned and shook it, surprising the Samoan with the strength of his grip. "Jack Anderson, pleasure to meet you Mr. Hunt."

"Strong grip.." Mark Hunt complimented. "Maybe you South Park boys are tougher than you're given credit for." He laughed.

Jack chuckled. "When you lead an army at war, you need to be."

Mark Hunt widened his eyes slightly.

"Army, eh? So you're a soldier?" Before Jack could reply, Mark Hunt began to put some more pieces together. "Wait, hold on.." There was a slight pause. "You're that 'Emperor' they've been talking about, aren't ya? The one who founded this new Empire?"

Jack's face fell a bit, before he hesitantly nodded. "Yes, I did it with good intentions though. I just want to help people."

"I'm not here to discuss politics, mate.." Mark Hunt responded, noticing Jack's shift in demeanor. "I'm here to let Drew know what's going on.. I will say, I'm not in _full_ agreement with this Empire, but I can see that you're only tryna do what's right.. As long as Australia remains what it once was, and isn't covered in ground troops like a fuckin' war zone, I can't complain too much.."

Jack nodded. "I understand. But I don't want to get in the way of you talking to Drew. He obviously _should_ talk to you, considering all that happened here in the last few months."

"I wouldn't see why I couldn't." Mark Hunt said. "After all, I'm gonna help him in his next Training Camp, and get him set up in my gym for his next fight.." He said that last part quietly, as he wanted Drew to be surprised when he turned on the TV. "For his next opponent? He'll _need_ it.. The dude's a _fuckin'_ monsta!"

Kyle's eyes widened slightly, remembering what had happened with Drew, but he quickly tried to mask his concern.

Mark Hunt looked at Kyle, not appearing to notice his expression of worry. He instead introduced himself.

"And you are?" Mark Hunt greeted in a polite way, extending his arm once again.

"Kyle sir." Kyle replied with a slight smile. "We were at the fight. I must say, _I_ wouldn't want to go up against somebody like you in a fight. I think Drew was just a little bit crazy for doing that..."

Mark Hunt could only laugh.

"Well, aren't we all?" He replied jokingly. "Drew is one tough mothafucka for his age! You never really know how dangerous a hungry up and comer is until you face one, yaself.. Hell, if you trained in martial arts, you could end up packing quite a wallop too.. All it takes is discipline and years of practice!"

Kyle blinked. "I'll definitely consider it! Though I dispute how you said 'all it would take' being years. Discipline is a bit more doable though."

"Well, when you learn discipline, the years of practice comes a lot more naturally.." Mark Hunt explained with a grin.

Mark Hunt then turned to talk to Drew again, while Jack noticed Kyle seemed a little… _focused_ on the Samoan…

Jack elbowed Kyle slightly. "What?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing." Jack replied with a slight, amused grin. Kyle rolled his eyes at that, while Mark Hunt and Drew began to chat.

"Can ya figure out the channel, mate?" Mark Hunt asked Drew. "UFC moved to ESPN recently, so try there."

"Yeah, I know." Drew said. "It's just a bit different than what I'm used to.. This TV must have a different provider or something.."

"Go up." Bebe instructed Drew similar to that of a mother. "No, up. Stop- St- No, there ya go.." Bebe then playfully smacked Drew on the side of the head. "Dummy.."

"Hey now," Drew teased back with a grin. "don't let those motherly instincts kick in on me.. I had it figured out, _thank_ you very much.."

"Uh huh.." Bebe said with a smirk.

Finally, the sports channel was on, and Drew looked at what was so important. Sure enough, they were talking about UFC! But more specifically, about _him_..

The caption read: " _Drew King SCARED of Jon Jones?"_

Drew widened his eyes when he saw that.

"What!?" He exclaimed. "Jon _Jones_ called me out? When did _this_ happen!?"

Mark Hunt responded simply.

"About a week ago. Don't you keep _up_ , mate? Hasn't Dana White called you or anything for any sort of deal?"

Drew widened his eyes yet again.

' _Fuck!'_ He thought.

Drew had been _so_ caught up in these conflicts and being Batman, that he completely _forgot_ about his phone! He was almost _never_ on it..

Of course, as far as everyone else in his family and group of friends knew, he had lost his fighting abilities.. But that didn't mean a bit of 'training' couldn't 'trigger' those abilities again for this fight..

I mean, Jon _Jones_!?

Number one, that was a _huge_ fight.. Number two, he didn't really like him too much due to his almost constant steroid cheating. Jon's last fight with Alexander Gustafsson that happened the _same_ night he fought Mark Hunt ended up being a No Contest, due to Jones being busted for a supplement in his system.

But of course, as _always_ , he was given a pass.. Gustafsson was badly injured after their fight, so they just went ahead and gave Jones the Light Heavyweight title.

Once Drew heard about that, he was _outraged_! Gustafsson, or 'Gus' as people called him, was one of his _favorite_ fighters and role models in life. And to see _this_ happen to him? That pissed Drew off to no end.. Mark Hunt has _also_ shown a vocal disrespect to steroid users and considered them nothing but cheats who were ruining the sport..

After all this information was absorbed, the group listened to the commentators on the show.

"And yes, we _do_ have a special guest with us here today. UFC's Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. How are ya, Jon?"

Jon Jones was now shown on the screen with a seemingly friendly grin on his face, his belt sitting beside him.

"I'm doing good. Thank you." Jon Jones responded.

"Now Jon, there's been a.. _lot_ of talk lately about you possibly going up to Heavyweight to challenge Mr. Drew King, who recently had a KO victory against Mark Hunt. What are your _thoughts_ on that?"

Jon Jones could only laugh.

"Well, I mean personally, I think I would _destroy_ Drew King.. What is he, like, 17 years old? He's just a kid, dude.. Like, come on! He shouldn't even be _allowed_ in there fighting.. He's just lucky Dana fed him an _old_ , washed up Mark Hunt as his opponent.. And even then, he _still_ almost got knocked out.."

Drew could only stare at the screen, his eyes widened, and his expression full of anger. Mark Hunt did the same when he heard Jones' comment about him.

Jack rolled his eyes in disgust at this guy's words. He didn't know much about him, but he could already tell he was _bad_ news.

"And no," Jon Jones continued. "I actually _want_ Drew to come down to Light Heavyweight to challenge me for my Light Heavyweight title.. I want my ' _first_ ' title defense to be against this kid who thinks he's hot shit now.. I wanna shut that shit down and prove that _I'm_ the greatest of all time.. People like to say 'Jones is on steroids', but y'know what? I'm passed that.. I thank God every day for my blessings, and He's truly blessed me as a fighter.. I _truly_ believe that Drew would get his ass kicked if he was man enough to come down and challenge me."

Jon Jones looked at the camera and finished with a confident smirk,

"So Drew King, little boy, if you're watching this, if you're a real man and want the biggest challenge of your so called 'career' that was handed to you, come _get_ some.. Daddy's waiting.."

"What an _asshole_!" Bebe exclaimed. She then put a hand on Drew's shoulder, noticing his obviously _pissed_ demeanor. Mark Hunt wasn't as bad, but was still heated.

Kyle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you need to kick his ass, Drew."

Drew clenched his fists as he saw the smirking face of Jon Jones on the TV screen. _Sure_ , he was powerful, but…

This was _Jon Jones_!

He had _never_ been defeated before! _Ever_!

He was the supposed 'greatest of all time'!

How could he _beat_ that?

Drew was _clearly_ very nervous, but his anger persevered over that. He turned to Mark Hunt and told him,

"Name the details and what I have to do.. I _want_ this fight!"

Mark Hunt smirked proudly at that statement.

"Attaboy!" Mark Hunt said. "Don't let that junkie _prick_ get to ya! He may have the advantage _physically_ , but you can be _smarter_ than him! Your _technique_ , combined with your already monstrous frame? You could be a _nightmare_ matchup for him! You could be the _one_.. He might be talking hot shit now, but once he knows you've accepted, and once the weigh ins come, assuming he doesn't piss hot again, that will be a _way_ different story.."

Drew gave a small grin, but even still, there was that _small_ hint of doubt in his expression..

Jack cocked a brow, before getting an idea. "Drew, if I may offer a suggestion?"

Drew looked at Jack, before nodding, waiting for him to continue.

"I have someone who might be able to teach you a few things of his own. If you want, meet him at the base by Stark's Pond."

Drew cocked a brow, as did Mark Hunt.

"Wait wha- Who?.." Drew questioned.

Jack shrugged. "Thrawn. One of our admirals. The one who routed Zillum's fleet when we launched our ships."

"And this 'Thrawn' fellow is a fighter? Awesome!" Mark Hunt said. Before a reply could be uttered, he cut the conversation short. "I gotta go, boys.. I'm gonna help set your training camp up, Drew. There's a few _other_ individuals who wanna help ya shit Jones' clown ass down as well.. I'll fill ya in, later."

Mark Hunt then waved goodbye.

"It was nice meeting you lot. See ya."

"See ya, Mark.." Drew replied.

"Nice meeting you! I appreciate you helping him." Bebe added.

With that, Mark Hunt exited the gym, preparing to set everything up for Drew's training.

Drew looked back at Jack, his curious expression still on his face.

"So wait.. Yeah, Thrawn's a _fighter_? Like, a martial artist?.."

Jack nodded. "Yes. He has studied many different ways of fighting, from battle tactics and command to hand to hand combat."

Kyle perked up a bit. "Maybe… _I_ could go too?"

Jack cocked a brow, before nodding. "You don't have to ask. Go ahead."

He turned to Drew. "Is that okay, Drew?"

Drew merely shrugged, responding,

"I don't see why not.. Kyle's welcome to join us."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The pair parked by the Imperial Base in the area. It was dimly lit, with only a few sentries standing guard. A soldier saluted both Drew and Kyle as they approached. "Emperors. Welcome."

Drew couldn't help but widen his eyes for a split second when he addressed him as 'Emperor'. It still _definitely_ required some getting used to..

"Um.. At ease." Drew awkwardly said to the soldier, not real sure what an Emperor was supposed to really say. He'd never been in this situation before.

The soldier chuckled slightly. "Don't worry. You did fine. The Admiral is awaiting you."

Drew nodded in response as he and Kyle began to walk in the direction where Thrawn was supposedly waiting..

"I have to say, I'm kinda nervous." Drew admitted to Kyle, making some small talk.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, I just hope I can actually learn something… Hell, I don't even know this guy."

"Welcome to the club.." Drew laughed.

They walked into what resembled a gym. When they got there, their first glimpse of the supposed Admiral was...utterly shocking.

Instead of an ornate military uniform, he wore a black tanktop and sweat pants and was fighting a _terrifying_ looking robot that seemed to be throwing punches, kicks, and strikes that looked like they would rival a Black Belt in Karate's skills. And the admiral was blocking them, dodging them, and actively _fighting_ it.

The most shocking part was the fact that he had blue skin, black hair and blood red eyes.

"Um.. Admiral Thrawn?" Drew greeted, getting his attention.

Thrawn blocked one last uppercut, and twisted his arm around, causing the robot to lose its balance, and giving him a chance to kick it with enough force to knock it's head _off_.

The robot fell to the ground, and Thrawn turned. "Drew King and Kyle Broflovski I presume?"

"Yep.. We're in the right place.." Drew commented to himself. Him and Kyle approached Thrawn, before Drew gave a respectful bow, as was tradition in formal martial arts.

Kyle bowed as well. Thrawn cocked a brow. "We will start with something simple." He circled them with a neutral expression, before stopping. "To defeat an enemy you must know them. Not just their tactics and strengths, but their history, their psychology, their philosophy."

He then turned back to Drew. "Begin." He raised his fists slightly, awaiting Drew's response.

Drew cocked a brow, before holding his fists up hesitantly. He stood in his usual fighting stance, and tried his best to pick his shot. Once Drew thought he saw an opening, he threw a basic right hook at Thrawn's head.

Thrawn dodged it and caught Drew by surprise when he punched Drew's face, causing him to stumble back. "You have power, but you need to have a coherent _strategy_." Thrawn commented. "You need to _plan_. Improvisation invites defeat."

He backed up a bit. "You know what you're doing, but you are held back by one thing. That is your ability to see _everything_ about the enemy. You must be able to find a chink in the armor, and you must exploit it."

He then sent a two hook, uppercut combination, aiming for Drew's chin. Drew blocked both hooks, and moved his head to the side to dodge the uppercut. This time, Drew managed to see it coming and block it, before he managed to counter into Thrawn's face. Thrawn reeled back slightly. "Excellent..." He said.

He then asked Drew. "What did I do wrong? What exposed me to your counter attack?"

"Because.. Because I saw it coming?.." Drew answered hesitantly.

Thrawn frowned. "I extended my arm too far and too fast. You were able to block them and you anticipated my next move and used that to find an opening. You had a _plan_ and strategy in place, and it was what won you that battle."

Drew nodded in response, looking down slightly.

"I see now.." He responded.

Kyle piped up. "So...we have to plan everything?"

Thrawn shook his head a bit. "No detailed plan survives contact with the enemy. What does survive is the enemy themselves. Know them, react to them, and use everything they have against them."

He walked forward slightly. "For you, I would recommend you focus on speed and endurance. You must be able to dodge and evade, and your strikes must be strong enough to wear the enemy down."

Kyle blinked before nodding slightly.

Thrawn turned and walked forward, he pressed a button, and another robot appeared. "Destroy this combat droid. I have tailored its settings to match that of your weight class. Do not fear, it won't kill you."

He then added. "But it is stronger. Find its weakness, its disadvantages, and use that to defeat it."

Before Drew could even so much as respond, the droid was already after him. It caught him off guard and sent a hard right hook into his face, which staggered Drew backwards.

The droid sent another combination towards Drew, but this time, he dodged out of the way and ran around the droid, trying to create more space for himself.

The droid sent a spinning head kick this time, Drew just _barely_ moving his head out of the way. He felt the _wind_ of the kick go by his face.

Rather than simply dodging the droids attacks and moving on like he had before, Drew actually began to _study_ the moveset of the droid.. He looked to see if it had some sort of a _pattern_..

And indeed it did.

After the spinning head kick, the droid threw the _same_ combination of punches it had earlier. After the final punch was thrown, Drew noticed an opening in the droid's midsection. Seeing this opening, Drew sent a body kick straight into it, knocking the droid backwards.

Once the droid recovered, it tried the spinning head kick again.

Drew was impressed with this technology.. Not only _that_ , but it was adjusted to be identical to that of a _Heavyweight_! Not many Heavyweights could really throw kicks like that.. Only a few.

However, Drew saw his opening after he dodged the kick once again. The droid left its head exposed when it turned its back on Drew once the kick was thrown.

Drew sent a spinning heel kick, very _similar_ to the one he had used to knock Clyde out with, to knock the head _clean_ off of the droid! The droid collapsed to the ground, destroyed and defeated..

Kyle clapped happily. "Holy shit! Great job Drew!"

Thrawn allowed himself to smile slightly. "Well done Drew." He commented. He walked over and inspected the droid. "I would recommend that you try to avoid using the kick you used against Clyde every time you are in a fight. You must keep them guessing, but when used in concert with other attacks, you would be a dangerous opponent indeed."

He then added. "Study your opponent, Jon Jones. Analyze his every move in the cage. But not only that, you must also learn…?" He stopped, waiting for Drew to finish the sentence.

"To get into your opponent's head?.." Drew replied.

Thrawn nodded. "Find anything you can use to weaken him mentally. Even just countering his own attempts to do so. My research indicates that he is experienced in this as well. Simply making it seem it doesn't affect you may throw him off. You must exploit that wound. Your fighting will be your knife, and you must twist that knife until he breaks. Pull him apart piece by piece, and let him be the architect of his own destruction."

Drew looked on a bit more confident now. Yes, he knew _damn_ well that Jon Jones was a master of mental warfare, just as much as he was physically. But he would try his _best_ to outwit him! Just like he did against Cartman! Against _Alex_ when he was corrupted!

He would do it again..

Thrawn turned to Kyle. "Your turn."

Kyle's eyes widened slightly as Thrawn turned on another droid. "Your opponent will be a bit different. Jack wanted me to assist you in melee combat."

He held out a lightsaber hilt. "A gift Jack told me to give to you."

Kyle's eyes widened as he saw the weapon. "Is that..."

Thrawn nodded. Kyle took the hilt, and looked it over. It was lighter than Jack's weapon, and a lot thinner, and in many ways, seemed to be designed for use by someone who might favor quick strikes and blocking rather then the heavy hitter Jack was.

Kyle looked at Drew. "Holy shit..." He muttered, showing Drew the weapon. It looked a bit artistic even, with golden rings around it that gave it a prettier look than Jack's weapon.

"It looks _nice_.." Drew commented with a grin. "A blade that size will definitely help to match your likely style of fighting.. You'll get some quick blows in using that!" Drew noticed the same thing Kyle had earlier.

Kyle grinned, and turned to the droid, before activating it. A brilliant green blade shot out. Kyle swung it around a bit. It moved a lot more swiftly and easily than Jack's lightsaber.

Kyle held up the blade, awaiting the droid. It turned on, and a metallic, but dulled blade extended from its arm. It wouldn't cut, but it would be enough to cause pain if it hit hard enough.

Kyle felt some of his confidence wane a bit, but he awaited the droid's attack. It shot forward, sending a lightning thrust at Kyle's neck. Kyle jumped back in surprise, but managed to block the blade, being able to deflect it. He then noticed the droid's arm was exposed. He swung his blade downwards, but the droid blocked it, and used its strength advantage to push Kyle back.

Kyle stumbled back, and the droid rushed forward again. It began raining a series of blows towards Kyle, who only barely blocked them. Then the worst thing that could have happened occured. He was cornered against the wall, and the droid began to rain a series of blows against him, and it looked like he was about to lose the fight.

"You got this, Kyle! _Don't_ give up!" Drew shouted. "Look for an opening! Doesn't matter how small, then _take_ it!"

Drew then noticed Jack step into view beside him. He looked concerned, but he didn't intervene.

Kyle risked a glance to Jack, before getting an idea. He let _go_ of his lightsaber, causing the droid to fall forward. He threw himself to the ground just in time as the droid fell against the wall. It pulled its lightsaber from the wall, but Kyle was quicker.

He grabbed his lightsaber and swung the blade up, cutting the droid in _half_!

It fell to the ground, split right down the middle.

Drew could only grin as he looked down at the defeated droid.

"Not bad for a newbie, huh?.." Drew said aloud to no one in particular.

Thrawn nodded. "What was it doing wrong?"

Kyle got up and deactivated his lightsaber. "It put all its weight into the lightsaber, and when I deactivated it, it couldn't control it's momentum."

Thrawn nodded. "Excellent. You both show incredible potential. But you do require a chance to hone your skills and sharpen that potential."

He then turned to Drew. "If you wish, meet me here at least once a week, and I shall assist you in anyway possible."

Kyle grinned. "I'll definitely be here!"

Drew responded with a similar expression.

"Same here."

Thrawn nodded. "Very well. Let me know the best time to do so. I trust that in no time you will be able to defeat not only Jones, but perhaps everyone else in your sport."

He then turned to Kyle. "I cannot teach you everything on how to wield a lightsaber. That responsibility must go to your Emperor, but perhaps….he could also use another, more regular teacher?"

Jack cocked a brow, before nodding. "Very well."

He turned to Drew. "By the way, Drew. I expect you both to keep each other out of trouble here."

He said it humorously, but both could tell he was a bit more serious on the inside.

"Um.. Yeah, sure. We will." Drew forced a chuckle, not real sure how to respond to that. It was more so because he could tell something was up with Jack that he just wasn't saying.

Kyle nodded as well, not picking up on it to the extent Drew was.

Thrawn looked down on his communicator. "Apologies, Emperors, I must meet with Admirals Caesarius and Thrawn to discuss the deployment of the new fleet of Star Destroyers. Best of luck to the both of you."

With that, admiral picked up his jacket, and headed off towards a nearby shuttle, leaving Jack, Kyle and Drew alone.

"Kyle, you want to go wait in the car for a bit? I gotta talk with Drew about something."

Kyle frowned, but didn't protest as he headed out. Jack watched him go, before, as the door closed, he looked down, not bothering to hide his brooding expression.

"Is.. everything okay?.." Drew questioned, looking on with concern.

Jack sighed. "I had a dream last night."

Drew didn't say anything. He merely waited in silence for Jack to gather his words and continue.

"It...was about Kyle..."

He looked down. "The real reason I was training him earlier was because of it. Just as I wanted him to come here with you."

Drew nodded in understanding, staying silent for a couple seconds.

"What.. What was it about?" Drew asked.

"I saw Kyle with the kids at night, and...I saw a dark figure in the background. It was obscured by smoke, and I couldn't see it clearly. Kyle and the kids couldn't see it, and it began to move towards them, and I began to hear...them screaming in my head, and time seemed to slow down. I tried everything I could to alert them, but they couldn't see or hear me or..."

Jack took a deep breath. "I saw a black arm reach from the smoke towards Kyle and...everything went black and all I heard was their screaming."

Drew shuddered at such a thought.

"You don't reckon it's _real_ , do you?.." Drew questioned with worry. "I mean sure it's just a dream, but remember that dream we _both_ had?.. The one that strange toxin caused? I _still_ haven't been able to identify what it was.. You can never be too careful anymore.."

Jack nodded. "I know. That's why it has me on edge. What I felt in that dream was worse than anything else I've ever _felt_. Even when we faced that council of villains...the darkness I felt from that presence eclipsed even them. Whatever it is, it's powerful and it's _malevolent._ "

"Well.." Drew slowly began. "Just.. be _prepared_ just in case whatever that darkness is turns out to be real. It always helps to be _two_ steps ahead of it! Or at the very least, ready to brace for impact.."

Jack sighed under his breath. "I want Kyle to be able to defend himself, and our kids."

He looked up. "Because if something happens and I can't be there-"

"And he _will_.." Drew firmly stated. "He _will_ learn how to defend himself. Kyle has already come _so_ far! The way he handled that droid just now? That's only the beginning.. He did _very_ well for his first time. And with enough practice, with enough training, he'll be _more_ than capable of holding his own.." There was a brief pause.

"And even _if_ something were to happen to you, I would _not_ let anything happen to them.. I'd protect them just like I would my _own_ family.. Same goes with Alex's family. I would do anything _for_ you guys.. No matter what happens. Always remember that."

Jack smiled slightly, before he added. "Still, you know how hard it can be. No matter how strong your significant other is, you still worry about them. Kyle and Bebe both probably know a lot about that..."

He stopped, before looking down a bit.

"Yeah.." Drew responded with a small sigh. "But even still, I know Bebe isn't fragile.. She's proven that she can hold her own pretty well. Granted, most of the time I didn't really allow her to show that, because I worry a lot. But I gotta say," Drew looked at Jack.

"they're stronger than they look.." Drew finished.

Jack sighed. "I know. But it's not their abilities I'm worried about. It's _the_ enemies we face."

He looked at Drew. "Zillum, Deathstroke, my father and his cronies, and now _this_ guy!"

He looked Drew in the eye. "Tell me that Kyle or Bebe would be able to stop _any_ of them. _I_ lost a hand to Zillum," he held up his arm, and pulled the sleeve down a bit, revealing a small metal ring between the actual flesh and the synthetic replacement.

"They couldn't right now.." Drew began. "But with proper training and knowledge in the art of fighting and defense, who _knows_ what they could accomplish? What makes _us_ more capable of defeating those animals than they are? Stronger? Sure. More experienced? Okay.. But did we start _out_ this way? No.. I don't think we _did_.. Sure, I'd be worried. I understand that _completely_.. But do you think that _they_ don't worry as well?.. Because I know for a _fact_ that they do.."

Jack took a deep breath. "I _know_ they do!"

He looked at Drew. "I am worried about Kyle beyond just being able to defend himself. I feel like I owe it to him after all the shit that he's been put through _because_ of me."

"I know.." Drew simply replied. "And he _needs_ to learn. It will be beneficial for him to. Especially in the world we live in now.."

Jack hesitated before what he said next. "A world that _I_ helped build."

"But also a world you're at least _trying_ to resolve.." Drew interrupted. "Bad decisions or not, I still have faith that it is _fixable_.. And so far, we're on the right track!"

Jack nodded a bit, before sighing. "Drew?"

Drew simply waited for Jack to continue on, wondering what it is he was gonna say next.

"I just want to help him, but I am worried, because you _know_ how often I bit off more than I could chew and how often I paid for it. That's the reason why I'm so worried, because I'm the one who has to worry now. And that's why I feel awful, for putting Kyle through that."

Drew sighed. He knew full well that Jack felt major guilt and was in great distress. But even then, he wasn't a psychologist. Not even a minor one for his friends. Even though he had studied an entire _giant_ textbook on it multiple times. At least, _Drew_ didn't think so.. He was always bad at this sort of thing. But even still, he tried his best.

"I.. I know.." Drew responded. "You're right to feel that way. But as long as Kyle is making progress, and he is happy, shouldn't that be all that matters right now?.."

Jack nodded. "You're right. I'm worrying way too much. Sorry for sounding so paranoid. You just can't be too careful these days though."

Drew shook his head.

"No." He said. "You definitely can't.."

Drew and Jack then stood there in silence for a bit, before Drew spoke again,

"Well.. I'd best get home. I'm sure the family is waiting on me. I promised them we'd go out and do something tonight. We almost _never_ do, so I figured what the hell.." He chuckled at the end.

Jack smiled. "Kyle's probably wondering where the hell I am too."

He then added. "See you tomorrow, Drew."

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Kylie walked down the hall to her first class. South Park elementary still seemed to be similar to what it was when she was a kid. But even still, she felt out of place. She didn't recognize anyone there. Plus, she had dressed as a boy for so long that being a girl, even if no-one really knew her, even if it was what she truly was felt off.

She passed by a couple of girls by the lockers. They quieted down to whispers as she walked by, but she could still hear them enough to make out what they were saying.

"Hey!" Someone yelled in a deep, demanding voice, which startled both Kylie and the whispering girls. "Get to class now, you hear! Go!"

This managed to scare the other girls enough into grabbing their textbooks and rushing to class. Kylie was about to do the same, before the man stopped her.

"Hey, kid!" He shouted. "Hold on a second.."

The man was dressed in a security guard uniform. He was a little over 6 foot tall, but looked a bit lanky. He still held quite a bit of muscle for his frame, though. The security guard's face was concealed with his patrol hat, sunglasses, and for some strange reason, a _scarf_ that looked a bit out of place.. Perhaps he had just come from the cold outside air?

Kylie looked at him nervously. "Um, yes sir?" She asked nervously. Something about this guy just felt... _off_. She couldn't place it. Still, he was an adult, so she should probably listen to him. She didn't want to get in trouble.

The security guard looked Kylie up and down, before he asked her,

"You're Kylie Anderson, aren't you?.."

Kylie nodded. "Yes sir...what is it?"

"Ah, _just_ who I was looking for!" The security guard exclaimed as he reached into a decent sized bag he had with him. It had the South Park Police Department logo and initials on there, so it most likely came from there. Most of the school's security guards used to be cops, so it made sense.

Once he took his hand out of his bag, he handed Kylie what looked like a.. gas mask..

Kylie looked at it with utmost confusion and slight uneasiness, before the security guard explained,

"The whole school district has nuclear drills today.. Standard procedure put in place by Emperor Anderson just yesterday.."

Kylie blinked. "But...daddy would have told me-"

"Oh _no_ , my dear girl.." The security guard calmly explained. "Not for a matter such as this.. You see, I really shouldn't be telling you this, but there's _speculation_ of another massive war.. One that the Emperor has been trying to keep under wraps, for fear of a public outrage.. He's trying to deal with it as quietly as possible. How do I know this you may ask? Well, I'm one of his closest informants.. I work for your Daddy's Empire, my dear girl! I know he didn't want you kids to know, but.. I feel I _owe_ you some sort of explanation. Just.. try and stay calm when it occurs, okay Pumpkin?.." He finished with a strange and unsettling grin.

Kylie widened her eyes, but nodded. If this guy _did_ work for her dad, then she should probably listen to him. Still, what if something _was_ happening and they _were_ in danger?

Still, she took the mask, though not without a hint of reluctance.

"Get to class now!" The security guard politely said. "The bell is about to ring."

With that, he turned and left, and Kylie headed to class. When she got there, she sat down beside her classmates, and awaited the lesson to begin. At least Mrs. Ferrier was better than Mr. Garrison was...

Then for a good few seconds, without any sort of warning, the class just went completely _silent_..

 _Dead_ silent..

Nothing was going on. It was just some sort of an eerie coincidence. But even still, Kylie _still_ felt extremely on edge.. Like something was about to _happen_..

 _CRASH!_

Out of _nowhere_ , a metal container crashed through the classroom window! The sound of _gas_ began hissing out of it! Pretty soon, the entire _classroom_ would be filled with it!

The children and teacher began to scream at the top of their lungs. The teacher tried to open the door to escape, but the door wouldn't _budge_!

Someone had _barricaded_ it from the other side!

Kylie looked around, and to her absolute _horror_ , one of her classmates began to start _laughing_ uncontrollably!

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Her classmate laughed.

Before long, the entire _classroom_ was starting to burst into the _same_ laughter.. The look on their face, beyond their immediate expressions, _wasn't_ that of joy.. It was that of absolute _pain_ , _suffering_ , and _fear_..

Before long, the gas would reach Kylie too!..

Unless..

She put on the mask just as the gas reached her. She looked around, before Mrs. Ferrier fell to the ground, a twisted laughing expression still on her face, her eyes showing absolute pain.

"HAHAHA! Oh.. HAHA OH GOD! HAHAHA! MAKE IT STOP! HAHAHAHA!" She exclaimed as tears fell from her eyes.. She was clearly suffering.. The only thing that would beg to differ was that _chilling_ , _bloodcurdling_ laugh..

Then, she felt someone grab her forcefully.

She gasped in fear, and saw..

The security guard!

"You're coming with _me_ , Brat!" He coldly hissed.

Kylie began to struggle from his grip, but was unable to. The security guard began to laugh, but not in the way those infected were.. No, he seemed almost.. _immune_ to the gas!

Kylie finally grew _tired_ of this! Her friends were _dying_! She balled up a fist and threw an uppercut as _hard_ as she could into the security guard's face, which _actually_ staggered him backwards.

It knocked off his hat and even his sunglasses..

That's when Kylie, still in anger, finally caught a glimpse of the bastard's _face_ for the first time.

And at first glance, her anger, as well as her _bravery_ , instantly disappeared..

It was The Joker!

And he did _not_ look happy..

Kylie backed up a bit, before stumbling to the ground, tripping over one of her classmate's still form.

She looked up at the Joker as he advanced on her.

Rather than a creepy grin, The Joker instead held an absolute _serious_ and _murderous_ expression.. He looked like he wanted _blood_..

The Joker yanked Kylie up by her arm, almost tearing it completely from its socket, before sending a backhand into her face, knocking her back down to the ground.. It left a _good_ red mark on her face, and she began to tear up, both because of the pain, and from the _fear_ of just who this was..

Thoughts of when Joker murdered those men filled her head. Absolute panic swept over her and she struggled, but she couldn't break free. Her gas mask clogged from the tears in her eyes as she cried out a single word. "DADDY!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Joker howled at the top of his lungs. "Your _daddy_ won't be able to save you.. With you in my possession, that _fool_ of an Emperor will _kneel_ before the chaos! Before my _anarchy_!"

As he dragged her from the classroom filled with the bodies, she struggled, but his grip was too strong. And as he threw her into a car, she could only whimper softly. "Daddy..."

With that, the car sped off, The Joker laughing once again, leaving the corpses of some of her beloved friends behind, ready for the staff or the police to discover them..

And right behind the school, inside the dumpster, lay another lifeless body, a creepy _smile_ contorting his face..

The body of a _security_ guard..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Drew and Bebe were in the High School cafeteria getting school lunch. They, as always, didn't care much for it, but at least they got to talk with their friends.

Once they got to their usual lunch table, they saw Kyle, Stan and Kenny waiting for them. "Hey guys!" Kyle greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Kyle!" Bebe greeted in return, as her and Drew sat down. "Where's the boyfriend? He come to school today?"

Kyle chuckled. "He should be here any-"

"Now, Jack, you can't do that, M'kay!" They heard Mr. Mackey yell in the distance, close by the exit doors.

"What the.." Drew muttered, he and the whole cafeteria looking at the commotion.

"FUCK OFF!"

 _Everyone_ jumped at the sheer _ferocity_ and rage in Jack's voice.

"Oh god _dammit_!" Drew exclaimed in frustration, dropping his fork and rushing towards the noise, to hopefully calm down what was going on.

"You- You _can't_ go through these doors during school hours! M'kay!" Mr. Mackey yelled, though not without a hint of fear.

"I said _move_!" Jack snarled, and the sound of a lightsaber activating.

Mr. Mackey ran away screaming as Drew ran up to Jack.

"Jack!" Drew yelled out. "What the fuck is _wrong_ with you, man!? What is-"

Jack turned to him, and Drew saw his eyes were burning yellow. The look on Jack's face was one of absolute _rage_ and...pain…

Drew's firmness didn't fade, but he _did_ back up slightly.

"What is going _on_!?" Drew questioned him. "Why did you almost attack Mr. Mackey?"

At that moment, Bebe, Kyle, Stan and Kenny had reached the hall.

Jack looked at them, before he deactivated the lightsaber. He looked away. "He... _took_ her. That _clown_ took Kylie and _murdered_ an entire _classroom_ of innocent children!"

Everyone gasped and their skin went _pale_.. But none more so than Drew's..

Drew looked down with his eyes widened and mouth agape, completely stunned. He _immediately_ felt guilt flow within him.. This was _his_ fault!

If he had _caught_ The Joker the first time, then this wouldn't have _happened_!

"Oh- Oh _God_.." Drew muttered, resisting the urge of throwing up.d

"Jesus _Christ_!" Stan exclaimed, his eyes just as wide.

"What about _Amelia_? And _Simba_? Are they okay!?" Bebe asked. It was then that she gasped once more, realizing something else. "Oh my God.. _Adia_! She _just_ started going to school! She-"

Jack stood up. "I'm going there to get our kids. I'm getting them _out_ of there. Mr. Mackey tried to stop me."

His voice had more pain than anger. Kyle walked towards Jack, and said softly. "Jack, calm down. We'll _find_ them. I _promise_."

Jack looked at him, before he looked away. You could tell he was about to say something else, but decided against it.

"Anything we can do to help, man?" Kenny asked him. "I wouldn't let _anything_ happen to those kids! I'll do _whatever_ it takes, and I know the rest of us would too.."

Jack shook his head. "I want everyone to get those kids _home_. I am not risking _anyone_ else. _Especially_ not you guys. This is my fight. He targeted her because of _me._ "

"Understood." Kenny said, before giving Jack a salute. It was sort of a throwback and show of respect towards Jack, of following orders as a soldier. "We won't let anything happen to them.."

Kyle however was _not_ so happy to follow that order. "Jack! She's _my_ daughter too, you know!" He began.

Jack sighed. "Kyle, just _please_ get Amelia and Simba to safety. I _can't_ lose you too!"

Kyle shook his head. "You won't! We can take this bastard down _together_!"

Jack looked him in the eye. "Kyle, I'm _not_ risking you or anyone else right now!"

Kyle responded firmly. "I'll be _fine_ , Jack! Goddamnit will you _stop_ treating me like I'm fucking made of _glass!?_ "

As this argument was going on, Drew had already made up his mind _long_ ago.. He gave an expression of self determination and revenge towards The Joker.

"Bebe.." He whispered, handing her the car keys. "Go get Adia, please.. Then head home. I'll be back soon."

Bebe took the keys, but gave Drew a look.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Because I-" Drew began, before she cut him off.

"Would you _stop_ it with your bullshit excuses!?" Bebe exclaimed, catching Drew off guard. "Don't you wanna see if your _daughter_ is okay!? What's _wrong_ with you!? What the fuck are you gonna _do_ , anyways? Huh!? What is so _goddamn_ important?"

Drew stood there in silence, unable to think of what to say next..

"Sure, you regained your _martial arts_ , but what the hell is _that_ gonna do against a _psycho_ clown murderer!? Nothing! He will _kill_ you, Drew! And I don't want to _ever_ hear that news! Because _you_ wanted to go off and do something _stupid_! How am I supposed to explain _that_ to Adia!? Huh!? To _Kenzi_ when she gets older, about _what_ happened to her Daddy!" Bebe continued to scold.

Drew was still dead set on taking The Joker down, but he didn't know _what_ to say to Bebe.. He was stumped. And _man_ , did he feel guilty..

"Why can't the two of you just make _fucking sense?!_ " Kyle yelled at both Jack _and_ Drew. "You treat me like I'm so fragile I'll break," he yelled at Jack, before turning to Drew. "And you _both_ are just going to leave _us_ here to _worry_ about the two of you while you go off and save the world! You don't fucking _know_ what I went through _every_ day you went off to war, Jack, and whatever you need to do Drew, now is _not the time_! You guys are just going to leave us here _again_ and not let us do _anything_ but have to _worry_ that we'll _never_ see you again?!"

"You wouldn't understand.." Drew whispered after a moment of silence, looking down.

"What _wouldn't_ we understand!?" Bebe yelled at him some more, causing Drew to cringe. "UNBELIEVABLE!" She then took a deep breath. "You know what.. You can sleep on the _couch_ tonight! I'll go get Adia! Y'know.. _our_ daughter!? Bye.."

With that, Bebe exited the school and slammed the door behind her, causing Drew to cringe one final time. He closed his eyes in absolute guilt. He felt _horrible_..

But what he had to do _had_ to be done..

Kyle looked at Jack. "I'm _going_ , Jack. Because, you know, Kylie is _our_ daughter?" He said coldly, just like how Bebe had said the same thing to Drew about Adia.

Jack looked at Kyle, before taking a deep breath and motioning for him to follow.

When Jack turned to look at Drew and do the same, he saw that there was _no one_ there..

He was gone..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The situation in the school was tense. Bebe could see that _immediately_. Imperial soldiers were helping the children from the building. It seemed that Joker had sent _multiple_ bombs of the laughing gas into different classrooms to sow chaos.

Luckily, the soldiers had managed to prevent more death and injuries. But even still, though they were visibly shaken from the events that happened, they were doing _everything_ in their power to save the lives of the people inside.

With no intention right now other than to get the kids home safely, Bebe approached an Imperial Soldier and asked,

"Are Adia King, Simba and Amelia Anderson okay!? I'm here to take them home.."

The soldier nodded. "We managed to get them out."

He hesitated. "Adia and Amelia were both injured by the gas, but Admiral Caesarius managed to rescue them both. He is with them in one of the ambulances right now."

The soldier pointed to a nearby ambulance.

Bebe gave a small gasp, but didn't waste any time. She rushed over towards the ambulance he had pointed out, as multiple emergency sirens sounded off in the surrounding area. There were multiple police cars, ambulances, and even fire trucks just in case.

The situation was _bad_..

No doubt it would be _all_ over the news.. Most likely the media was on their way to the scene.

Bebe walked behind the ambulance, and sure enough, Amelia and Adia lay inside, on seperate little beds, but still beside each other.

Adia had a pained expression, that looked like she had suffered greatly. Her tail was tucked in between her legs, which signified great distress. She was on the brink of unconsciousness, but was still awake. She appeared to have a massive headache, and a lack of energy.

Amelia was unconscious, barely breathing. She was receiving artificial respiration.

"Oh my God! Oh my God, poor _babies_!" Bebe exclaimed tearfully, climbing into the ambulance, looking at their worn down bodies with both great sadness and _fear_! "You're gonna be okay, Adia.. Mommy's here.. You're _both_ gonna be okay.."

"M- Mommy?.." Adia softly asked weakly, trying her hardest to remain conscious.

"Yes.. Yes, baby. Mommy's here.." Bebe responded, still tearfully.

"W- Where's.. _Daddy_?.." Adia asked her.

Bebe's expression immediately fell. She just about _lost_ it right there.

"He.. He's nearby, sweetie. _Don't_ worry! He'll be here to see you soon.. It's _all_ gonna be alright, you hear?"

Adia was too weak to respond, but still managed to nod in slight acknowledgment.

"Aunt Bebe?"

Bebe turned to see a tearful Simba cuddled up to Caesarius, who was stroking him gently, trying to comfort him. Caesarius had a pained expression on his face, but there was also determination in his eyes.

Bebe approached Simba and asked softly,

"Simba.. Are you okay? Do you need anything?.. I'm here." Bebe tried to reassure Simba.

"Where's Kylie and Nala?" He asked.

Caesarius looked down. "Carandial is going to find Nala, young one, don't worry." He said softly. However, Bebe could tell that Caesarius knew Kylie was missing, and he had no idea how to tell Simba.

"Kylie is.." Bebe began, trying to decide what to do. "is-"

"Is going to be _fine_.." Someone interrupted her.

Bebe turned around with a gasp to see who had said that.

That deep, commanding voice was very familiar..

It was..

"B- Batman!?" Bebe exclaimed in shock.

Batman said nothing, but looked down at the near dead forms of Adia and Amelia. It was a _miracle_ they were still alive! They would need _serious_ medical attention.

Batman's face fell. He looked down at his daughter.. His _niece_.. Even his frightened _nephew_ made him feel that same level of guilt again..

But for the sake of the kids.. For the sake of _everyone_ , Batman cast that guilt to the side and tried to stay strong.

Batman knelt down to Simba's level and spoke to him like an individual, telling him,

"Your sister has been captured by a _dangerous_ man, Simba.. And it's up to _me_ and many _other_ brave men to make sure that she's _found_.. Understand?"

Simba looked up, before he nodded. "I do..."

"Can you be a brave big brother and watch over your sister and cousin while we look for her?" Batman asked Simba.

Simba thought for a moment, before he nodded in determination. "Yes sir!"

Batman nodded, before standing back to his feet.

"Good.. We'll be counting on you." Batman finished, obviously trying to boost the lion cub's spirits, and to give him a feeling of importance.

Simba took a deep breath, before looking at Adia and Amelia. "I'll...I'll be strong for you guys..."

Caesarius cocked a brow at Batman for a moment, before he got an idea. This human was stronger than most, he could _definitely_ help bring down the terrorist who caused this attack. "Some of my troops found tire marks not too far off. Witness reports say they saw a strange vehicle fleeing the scene not too long after the first gas attack occurred.. We're thinking it might be a _lead_ as to where that lunatic is.. You may find the right path down there."

"I appreciate the assistance, Admiral.." Batman said. "I can take it from here."

Caesarius nodded. "If you do require assistance, we're on standby."

"I won't need any." Batman said as he exited the ambulance. Not in a rude or cocky way, but in a determined and knowing one.

"Wait!" Bebe yelled for Batman as he began to walk off. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Bebe, who had stepped out of the ambulance herself.

She looked down at the ground, seemingly nervous, not sure what to say.

"I.. I just wanted to thank you for doing all this." Bebe told Batman. "I was one of your doubters before, but.." She then smiled. "Now I can see that you're doing the right thing."

Batman stood there in silence. On the inside, he was _extremely_ happy to hear her say that, but on the _outside_ , he kept his same demeanor. The cowl kind of covered his facial expressions anyways.. He wasn't at _all_ without his internal guilt.. Just _everything_.. The lies, the failures.. They were _all_ eating at him inside!

But still, he remained _strong_! He _had_ to..

"So just.. thank you, again." Bebe added. She then said a bit more energetically. "Kick that clown's ass!" She chuckled.

Batman couldn't help but smirk under his cowl.

"Oh believe me.. After tonight, The Joker will be put away for a _long_ time.. He won't be bothering this town _anymore_.." Batman told her.

Bebe gave a thankful smile, before turning around and entering the back of the ambulance once more. The doors shut, and the ambulance took off for the Emergency Room.

Batman gave a barely audible sigh.. He hoped to _God_ that Adia and Amelia would be alright.. They looked _awful_!

The Joker would _pay_..

"You're not going alone."

Batman didn't even need to turn around to know who that was.. It was Jack, who was accompanied by Kyle. Jack looked clearly uncomfortable with that idea, but he bit his tongue.

"Jack Anderson.. Kyle Broflovski.." Batman greeted, still walking towards the source of the tire marks, not even facing them.

"She's our daughter, we are going to find her." Kyle added.

"Yes.. She is." Batman responded. "But The Joker is a _dangerous_ individual.. I can't have you guys be put in any sort of danger by him. This man is unlike _anything_ I've ever faced before.. He's as unpredictable as they come.."

Kyle sighed. "We know that. _I_ suffered from that same gas earlier. I _won't_ let Kylie go through the same. And I _won't_ let this murderer get away."

Batman finally stopped and faced the two of them for the first time.

"There's _nothing_ I'll be able to say to change your minds, is there?.." He asked them calmly.

Jack and Kyle both shook their heads.

"Fine.." Batman relented. "You can come." He then looked at them firmly. "But if any of you get in my way, or are put in _any_ sort of danger, I won't tolerate it.. The Joker is going _down_. Are we clear?"

Jack looked uncomfortable doing it, but he still nodded.

"Just get our daughter out of there."

"Believe me, Emperor Anderson." Batman began. "Your daughter _is_ coming home.. This psychopath is going to realize just how _painful_ his jokes end up being.."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The trio headed down the road, following the tire marks on the road utilizing an infrared light, which showed the tire tracks, no matter how hidden, in full view. However, after a short while, the marks stopped.

And for obvious reason..

Batman, Jack, and Kyle looked up to see a car crashed into the side of a building. But not just any building; it was the new Japanese restaurant that they had always liked going to..

There was a police car just outside the building, signifying there was definitely an officer or two inside, investigating the crime the now _destroyed_ restaurant, there were multiple dead bodies, having been crushed by the impact of the vehicle. One of those bodies, the trio knew _all_ too well..

It was the _owner_ of the restaurant.. He was an old Japanese man, who alone had started this small business downtown.. Looked like _that_ dream was over..

Jack shook his head. "This...clown is going to pay for this. He's taken too many innocent lives."

Batman said nothing, but nodded in agreement. He felt _horrible_ for these poor people.. And all because of some lunatic's _games_! Because of his _views_ of anarchy and chaos!

Looking up, Batman saw a lone police officer, who looked as if he was taking some sort of notes. But at the same time, he appeared to be stashing them _away_ , even _ripping_ a couple documents..

' _Strange..'_ Batman thought. ' _Police don't usually DO that..'_

Keeping his suspicions well in mind, Batman approached the officer.

"Officer.." Batman greeted as he approached the policeman at the crime scene.

"Oh! Uh.. Batman." The police officer said, a bit shocked. "W- What do you want?"

"I want to know where The Joker is-" Batman trailed off. He narrowed his eyes when he saw something on the officer's neck.

Batman's gaze _then_ cut down to the officer's arm, which was behind his back.

There were _multiple_ red flags going off at once now! This was _obviously_ either a trap, or really bad timing!

"What's behind your back?.." Batman demanded, stepping closer. The officer stepped backwards, beginning to sweat profusely.

"N- Nothin'!"

"Your arm! _Now_!" Batman yelled, lunging forward.

The officer pulled out his gun and fired it at Batman, but he quickly managed to evade out of the way.

Kyle and Jack activated their lightsabers, before Kyle leapt forward and used his lightsaber to slash through the gun, before whirling around to point the weapon to the officer's throat.

"Where is the Joker?" Kyle snarled.

"N- No! Stop! He'll _kill_ me!" The police officer cried, pointing at the strange thing on his neck. "He wanted me to destroy all the evidence here! He threatened my wife and ki-"

Out of nowhere, the officer began to shake intensely. He was being _electrocuted_!

Batman widened his eyes and took out a Batarang from his utility belt.

He tried to pry the device off of the officer's neck, attempting to save his life, but it was locked on _tight_!

Soon, the shaking stopped, and the officer laid there.. lifeless.. He was _dead_..

Batman looked down towards the ground, before he balled his fist up and slammed it on the ground in frustration.

"Dammit!" He exclaimed.

Jack knelt down by the officer, and looked over the device. He got an idea to take it out, but was startled when a voice finally spoke.

"Tsk tsk tsk.. Well _that's_ no good, is it? You know what they say: snitches get electrical currents! HAHAHAHA!" The Joker spoke through the device.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What is it you want from us?" He asked.

"Oh you'd _like_ to know that, wouldn't you?.." The Joker teased.

Jack took a deep breath. "I am not in the mood for games, Joker."

"And _I'm_ not in the mood for such bad _manners_.." The Joker said.

There were sounds of familiar screaming in the background as soon as he said that, followed by his laughter.

Jack's face fell, before he turned to Batman and gestured to the device. Batman, however, was already well ahead of him. He stuck a tracer onto the device, and simply waited..

"If I give you what you want, will you let her go?"

"Oh that _depends_.." Joker said. "Can you be a _good_ boy and say you're _sorry_ for talking to me so _rude_ earlier?.."

Jack took a deep breath, before he growled. "I'm _sorry_."

It was the most painful thing he had ever said in his life.

"Say it like ya _mean_ it, Jack! Your daughter is _counting_ on you! HAHAHA!"

"AHHH!" He heard Kylie scream over the device.

"I'm sorry...Just...don't hurt her." Jack cried.

" _Good_.." The Joker said more calmly now. "That's _good_.. Now you're _learning_." There was a bit of silence before he added. "Mind if I told you a quick _joke_ I heard just this morning?"

"I'm all ears..." Jack said.

"What do you call a little redheaded girl who's about to be _beaten_ to death by a crowbar if her daddy doesn't show up within the hour?.." Joker asked.

It took _every_ inch of willpower for Jack not to lose it right there. Luckily, at that moment, Batman indicated he had found Joker's location.

"Oh good!" The Joker surprisingly spoke. "That should give you _just_ enough time to get here! See ya soon, Emperors! Hohoho! Oh, and hi, Bats!" Joker ended with more excitement than before.

With one final laugh, the device cut off.

Jack stood up, and asked Batman. "Where is he?"

"South Park Church.. Deep underground in one of its old cellars.." Batman answered.

Without any other word, Jack headed off to find them. Kyle looked to Batman. "We _have_ to find her..." He said softly.

"And we will.." Batman told Kyle. "But the thing that unnerves even _me_ , is.. he _knew_ I was tracing that call.. He _knows_ we're on our way.. I don't _like_ it.."

Kyle took a deep breath. "Neither do I. But we have no choice. If we don't stop him, more will die."

"And that's _exactly_ why I wouldn't have it any other way.." Batman responded softly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group finally reached the church with a half hour to spare. Jack stopped, before he looked around. Remembering his experiences in WW3, he used the force to yank a jack in the box that was hidden in the ground out of the path. Jack used the force throw it in the air, where it exploded, causing a rain of pie on the ground not too far away.

Batman shook his head, before the trio approached the old cellar that was the most likely one he would be in.

The group listened very closely, and heard what sounded like… _carnival_ music playing down there.

It was _definitely_ the one..

"Hold it." Batman said, before Kyle and Jack tried opening the cellar door.

He shined some sort of light on it, which showed _barely_ visible silly string. Batman sprayed a substance very similar to dry ice on the strange strand of string, and froze it solid.

It only took one slight chop of the hand to dismantle the trap.

Looking a bit closer when switching on his Detective Vision, Batman saw some explosives hidden underground, which were _attached_ to the string. One bit of pressure on the string, by say, _opening_ the cellar door, and the whole church would have exploded!

Jack cocked a brow, before he used the force to open the door. His eyes widened in horror when they saw Kylie tied to some sort of strange and colorful wheel. The whole _setup_ down there looked like a giant _game_!

Kylie's eyes widened and she squirmed, trying to break free of the…

Jack stopped as he remembered that this was the Joker they were dealing with…

"Ladies and gentleman.. Boys and girls!" A strange voice on an intercom down there spoke. The cellar door shut and locked behind them. "Put your hands together for your host.. Theeeee Jokerrrr!"

The sounds of stock cheering and clapping could be heard, as The Joker now stepped into view, standing by the wheel. He now had on a different colorful suit, a top hat, and a crowbar, which he used as a substitute cane.

"Welcome, everyone! One and all! I'm _so_ glad you could make it tonight.." The Joker smiled, treating this as some sort of psychotic _game show_..

Jack stood up, and he sent a torrent of force lightning at the Joker. He was _done_ playing games. Not when Kylie was in danger.

" _Weeeee_! Hahaha!" The Joker yelled as he was sent back into the wall by the force lightning. It clearly hurt him, but he appeared to be _enjoying_ this.

"Jack!" Batman exclaimed. "Careful-"

"I wouldn't have done that, Jack.. I thought you learned some _manners_ when we last talked.." Joker said as he tried to stand up.

Jack sent another torrent of force lightning at the Joker. The Joker was sent back into the wall _yet_ again. The clown's pain tolerance seemed to be _unreal_ , however! It looked like he was having _fun_.

"Okay, boys!" Joker exclaimed.

The trio looked on at him, very confused, before _two_ familiar faces walked out..

It was..

"Hey, guys.. Miss me?" Clyde spoke with a smirk.

Batman narrowed his eyes.

' _Him..'_ He thought with absolute malice.

"And don't forget about _meee_!" The creepy voice of Umberto spoke.

"Shut up." The Joker said.

"Whatever you say, boss! Say, can I pet that stray cat we saw earlier when we-"

"Dammit! Just shut the _hell_ up and point your gun at the brat!" Joker snapped.

Umberto jolted in fear.

"Uh, y- yes sir. Sorry sir!" Umberto said, pointing a pistol at Kylie's head. Clyde pointed at gun directly at Jack.

"This looks a bit _familiar_ , doesn't it?.." Clyde recollected. "Except _last_ time it was your _queer_ Jewish boyfriend I shot!"

"Not _one_ move, Anderson!" Joker said. "Or your _brat_ gets lead in her brain!"

Jack narrowed his eyes. He looked between them. He was trying _desperately_ to find any kind of opening. Even _if_ he used the force again, Umberto would still have enough time to pull the trigger. He had _no_ idea what to do. Kylie looked at him with pleading eyes.

He looked to the group, before he fell to his knees. "What do you want?" He asked.

"Well we can _start_ by you making yourselves at _home_.." The Joker smiled. "See those chairs over there?" He asked, pointing to three specific chairs. "You look _beat_.. I think you want to sit down and take a _load_ off.."

Jack stood up, and looked at Joker hatefully, but did as he said. Kyle looked _just_ as pissed, but followed. Batman said nothing, but _did_ grab something from his utility belt before anyone could see..

As the three sat down in the chairs, they were immediately strapped down. It was an _obvious_ trap! They were strapped tight to the chairs, unable to move.

"HAHAHA! Good! Now, don't you already feel _better_?" The Joker asked.

Jack didn't respond.

"What are you _getting_ at Joker? What is the _reason_ you've kidnapped this little girl? Why her?" Batman asked, mainly as a distraction and chance to stall while he prepared to break out his plan.

The Joker laughed.

"Oh, Bats.." The Joker began. "So naive.. Yet so _fun_!" He exclaimed, as he walked closer to the wheel Kylie was strapped to. "Think about it, why _else_ would I kidnap the daughter of the goddamn _Emperor_? Hmm?.."

Kyle snarled. "You want something from us don't you!"

"Well no _shit_!" The Joker rudely answered with a chuckle. "You want to know what _I_ want from you, Jack?"

Jack looked him in the eye, but didn't respond.

"I want you to _watch_ as your very own _daughter_ suffers and _dies_ right in front of you! Every grueling _moment_! Then once little _Kylie_ here has had enough fun for one lifetime," The Joker chuckled before he continued. "I'm going to do the same thing to _each_ of you.. One by _one_.. Starting with your _gay_ Jew lover!"

In that moment, the game started.

"Ooookay!" The Joker excitedly exclaimed. "Let's spin the wheel, to see _what_ form of torture she'll receive first.."

Jack's eyes began to burn yellow as the rage began to grow. Memories began to _surge_ through his mind. Of all those moments with Kyle and Dana. Of finding Simba, Amelia and Kylie. And...watching Dana's death.

By the end of his thoughts, the wheel had stopped spinning..

"Erotic asphyxiation!?" The Joker exclaimed. "Oh wow.. Breaking out the wild cards _already_!"

"You're a _monster_!" Batman exclaimed.

"Oh _I'm_ not gonna do that! Hell no! Raping kids? Not my thing.." Joker said. "Now _Umberto_ on the other hand will fuck anything that _moves_! Hoohoo!"

The Joker took the pistol from Umberto and took Kylie off the wheel. She seemed to be _exhausted_ and looked too _scared_ to even move! Umberto and Joker began to drag her to a nearby noose, where the sick torture was certain to begin..

That was _it_!

In that single moment, Jack saw _red_.

With an animalistic _scream_ , he broke from the chair and stood up, and with a single force pull, retrieved his lightsaber.

"I would sit the hell _down_!" Joker said, holding the gun to Kylie's head. "Or else she _gets_ it!"

Jack made a fist with his hands, and the pistol _broke_ in Joker's hands.

Also in that moment, Batman had cut through his restraints with the Batarang he had pulled out of his utility belt earlier. Now free, Batman tossed that same Batarang at Clyde's wrist, which caused his gunshot to be way off.

"Agh!" Clyde screamed in pain. With one swift motion, Batman sent a kick directly into Clyde's stomach, flooring him. Clutching onto his gut, Batman sent an extra punch into his face, knocking him out for good measure.

Batman then worked on untying Kyle's restraints as Jack approached Umberto and Joker.

He looked Joker in the eye. "Why so serious, Joker?" Jack asked calmly.

"Ohoho.." Joker evilly chuckled. "I'll _show_ you serious you son of a _bitch_!" Joker pulled out a small bag and dumped it all on the floor. Looking down, its contents appeared to be marbles.

However, the sounds of their beeping signified that they were in fact something _else_..

Batman untied Kyle and gasped.

"Get out of here! It's gonna _blow_!" Batman exclaimed.

Jack looked towards Kylie, who was struggling against Umberto's grip. Jack used the force to pull Kylie from Umberto's grasp, and as he caught her, he began to run towards the exit. Batman saw that Clyde was still unconscious on the ground, and as _much_ as he would regret doing this, he actually _picked_ him up and ran for the exit.

"Not so _fast_ , Bats!" The Joker yelled as he hopped onto Batman's shoulders, in an effort to hold him back. "Today, we die _together_! Hahahaha!"

Batman struggled to move forward, only barely making progress. As a last resort, Batman took out his Remote Electrical Charge from his utility belt and electrocuted The Joker, knocking him off of him.

Batman ran for the exit now, but Joker quickly recovered, following suit.

Just as they reached the exit, the room exploded, knocking everyone forward and into the main sanctuary of the church..

For a split second, there was silence. Jack then remembered Kylie…

He looked down and saw her clinging tightly to him, her eyes red from tears. Jack pulled her close. "It's okay. It's okay, it's over."

"Not.. _quite_.." The Joker breathed heavily, standing back to his feet. As The Joker tried to approach Jack and Kylie once more, he was knocked to the ground by a punch to the face by Batman. "Ohoohoohoo.. Feisty today, _aren't_ we?.."

"It ends _now_ , Joker!" Batman yelled. "Your sick, twisted ' _games_ ', your ' _jokes_ '.. It's _over_.. You're going away for a _long_ time for what you've done.."

Kyle nodded and stood up to face Joker. He activated his green lightsaber, ready to use it.

"Heh heh heh.." The Joker chuckled, looking directly at Kyle now. "I know.. Wasn't it _glorious_!?.."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Not this time, Joker,"

"Oh!" Joker dismissed Kyle, waving his hand. "Put a _sock_ in it! The _adults_ are talking!" He taunted Kyle.

Kyle then surprised _everyone_ by using the Force to start to choke Joker. The Joker only continued to laugh as he suffocated.

"Y- Yes! _Good_ , K- Kyle!" Joker said through labored breaths. "Finish me off! Finish me off like a _real_ man should! The way you _should've_ finished off your _father_!.."

Kyle's eyes widened.

"But we know you won't, _will you_!?" The Joker continued to taunt. "We all _know_ you're too much of a w- _wimp_ to do such a thing! Such a _coward_! Such a ch- _child_!"

Kyle stood up. He walked towards Joker, his anger starting to burn.

"You're such a _disappointment_ even your _daughter_ was secretly wishing she were dead! AHAHAHAHA!" The Joker howled.

"Daddy?" Kylie finally whimpered. Kyle froze, and turned to Kylie. "Can we just go home?" She asked softly.

"Aw.. But _why_?.." The Joker asked with his trademark grin. "I was ha- having too much _fun_.."

Batman had finally seen enough. He motioned for Kyle to stop using the Force Choke, and once he approached Joker, he slammed him down to the ground for good measure.

"Ooh! Hahaha!" The Joker laughed. "How'd _you_ know I like it _rough_!? Ahahaha!"

Batman ignored his remarks and sent a final punch into the side of his head, knocking The Joker unconscious. Batman then put him in restraints. They were even more stable and durable than regular handcuffs.

With that, The Joker was _finally_ apprehended..

It was over..

Batman also took the liberty of putting restraints on the unconscious Umberto and Clyde as well.. They _too_ would be taken into custody for their actions..

Kyle took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm down.

Jack stood up, cradling Kylie in his arms. "It's okay. It's okay." He whispered. But Kylie was inconsolable.

He looked down. "So many innocents were killed or hurt by that _monster_..."

Jack looked back to Kyle and Batman. "Thank you. Thank you _both_."

Kyle smiled, before walking forward and placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. He just nodded sadly, happy their daughter was safe.

Before Jack and Kyle could turn around to thank Batman once again, he was gone..

Nowhere to be seen..

The sounds of distant police sirens were heard, and that's when Jack and Kyle decided it was time to go home. They exited the church to see the police rushing in after Joker, and likely his accomplices as well..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bebe had arrived back home for a little while, as she had been at the hospital for _most_ of the evening.. She needed to grab some of Adia's things so that she could hopefully be a little more entertained while in the hospital.

She wasn't informed on how long Adia or _any_ of them would be there, so she figured she might as well keep her entertained _just_ in case she was in there for a few days..

Bebe knew she _loved_ to listen to music, so she grabbed her music player and a few of the Beatles' albums from off the shelf.

Drew had gotten her into them.. Hell, Drew had gotten _Adia_ into them as well. They were now probably Adia's favorite band! She would love to listen to this while she waited to be released..

Adia's condition still wasn't good, but it had gotten more stable than it was. The doctors think she would make a _full_ recovery, but that she would be tired and have intense headaches for at least a couple more days..

Bebe sat on her and Drew's bed, sighing to herself.

She felt _awful_ for yelling at Drew like that earlier..

But who could _blame_ her!?

Why _didn't_ Drew want to go see if his daughter was okay!?

His nieces!? His nephew!?

It just didn't make any _sense_ to her..

There was an eerie silence in the room. Some wind blew inside the bedroom, which made it a bit cold in there. Bebe cocked a brow, noticing the window was slightly open..

Strange..

Once the window was finally shut and locked back, Bebe took a deep breath, before she turned around.

And once she did, she about had a _heart attack_!

"AHHH!" Bebe screamed in fear, falling to the floor, not expecting what was behind her.

After recovering from that, and looking up, she saw a hand extended out to her, offering to help her up.

It was..

"Batman!?" Bebe exclaimed in shock. "W- What the hell are you _doing_ here? Why are you in my house!?" She questioned with shock as she accepted Batman's help.

Batman sighed and looked down momentarily, before looking back up at her.

"The Joker has been apprehended.. Kylie is safe.. It's _over_ now.." Batman informed her.

Bebe's face immediately _lit_ up!

"Oh! That's _wonderful_ news! Thank you, Batman! Thank you for saving her!" Bebe gratefully said.

"It's no problem.." Batman responded, before he sighed again. "It's- It's _me_ that's the problem.."

Batman sat down on the bed, as if mentally _battling_ himself. Did he _really_ want to do this!?

Bebe cocked a brow, widening her eyes in absolute confusion.

"Um.. Batman?.." She questioned.

"Bebe.." Batman began, this time without his deep, commanding voice, which caught Bebe off guard. "There's.. There's more to me than meets the eye.. I'm.. a lot _closer_ than you think.."

Bebe was just absolutely _perplexed_ at this point. What _was_ this!? Why was Batman acting so damn _weird_?

That voice _was_ pretty familiar though..

Almost like..

Bebe gasped in shock, almost dropping the music player in the floor.

"D- Drew!?.." She asked Batman.

Batman sighed and immediately pulled his cowl off, for the _first_ time exposing his identity to someone..

Drew's face had _tears_ in his eyes. He looked absolutely _distraught_!

"I- I'm _sorry_ I lied to you! I'm _sorry_ I haven't told you before! I just.. I couldn't _risk_ putting you in danger! I couldn't risk putting my _family_ in danger! My _friends_! But it's just.. It's gotten to the point where I can't keep _hiding_ it from you.. Everyone else I could fool, but _you_? You're smarter than your hair color lets on.." Drew tried making a joke at the end to lighten up the mood, but he couldn't hide his feelings of guilt and shame..

Bebe sat down on the bed beside him, her face _still_ stunned with disbelief.. This.. This _figure_ , this ' _Dark Knight_ '.. That was _Drew_ the whole time!?

Sure had _her_ fooled..

' _So all that time.. Wendy was in love with DREW? And even Kyle made that remark about him one time!? That's.. kind of funny, to be honest.'_ Bebe thought, amused.

Bebe sighed, but rolled her eyes with a warm smile.

"Same hair color as _you_ , y'know.." Bebe softly countered. That got a small chuckle out of Drew, but nothing more. Bebe sighed. "Look Drew, I- I'm _sorry_ for yelling at you earlier today.. I had no _idea_ that you-"

"Were _Batman_?.." Drew finished for her. "I know.. It's my faul-"

"No, Drew!" Bebe firmly said. "No.. It's _not_ your fault! Y'know what? I'm _glad_ you didn't tell me before! And do you know why? I probably would've _freaked_ out and told you not to do it, but _guess_ what?" Bebe grasped Drew's tearful cheek softly and continued, "You saved Kylie's _life_ today.. You saved _millions_ of lives during the war.. Hell, you saved _Wendy's_ life, _Jack's_ life, you've probably saved us _all_ at one point or another! You're a true _man_! A _hero_!"

Drew had stopped crying by this point, and he looked Bebe in the eye, feeling a _whole_ lot better than he was.

"You gave this town what it thought it _didn't_ need, and proved it _all_ wrong.. This past warfare is a giant cause of the world being in the shape it's in now.. But _you_ , Drew?" She was silent for a bit. "You're the guardian _angel_ this town _needs_ to become whole again.."

Bebe now looked Drew in the eyes, moving her head closer to his.

"My _Dark Knight_.." She finished in a seductive whisper.

The two moved closer together until their lips met.. In that small moment, _bliss_ had fallen upon them _both_! A giant _weight_ was lifted from their shoulders..

It was truly a beautiful moment..

As the seconds rolled by, and the room began to grow warmer, more and more articles of clothing came off..

What resulted was a good hour of lust, passion, and true love..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Caesarius and Carandial sat in the hospital room. Carandial was cradling a sleeping Nala in his arms.

Amelia was stable finally, and Simba was curled up beside her on her hospital bed, keeping watch over her. Adia was on the bed beside the siblings.

The two Admirals had decided to keep an eye on the children while the others were gone. Adia, who seemed to be feeling a bit better finally spoke up,

"C- Caesarius?.." She struggled, hoping she pronounced his name right.

Caesarius smiled slightly. "Well done Adia, you got it right. What is it sweetheart?" He asked.

Adia's expression softened slightly.

"W- When are we gonna go home?.. Are they okay?" She asked, referring to her still unconscious cousins.

Caesarius sighed. "Yes, they're just fine. They just need to sleep a bit to feel better. You will all be able to go home in an hour, they just need to make sure you're all going to be alright."

Carandial cocked a brow at Caesarius' gentle tone. He had _never_ heard the Grand Mandator speak so softly and gently in his _life_.

Then again, here he was cradling a lion cub. So he didn't have much high ground to stand on either.

"Okay.." Adia responded, seeming to understand. "I just hope Mommy can come back soon.. I still don't know _where_ Daddy is.."

The door opened before Caesarius could reply. Wendy walked in, multiple 'Get Well Soon' balloons in her hands with candy attached to them. She figured the kids might like them.

Wendy looked around the room, until she laid eyes on Caesarius and Carandial.

"Um.. Hi." She spoke nervously with a laugh. "Do you know where Bebe went? Or Drew, Jack, Kyle, any of 'em?"

Carandial sighed. "Jack and Kyle moved against the Joker along with Batman. As for Bebe and Drew, we don't know."

Wendy nodded in understanding, taking a seat beside them.

"Bebe said something earlier about headed back to the house to get some things sometime this evening.. Maybe _that's_ where they are." She then looked at them. "I saw they got into a _massive_ argument at school today, though.."

"Mommy and Daddy got into an argument!?" Adia asked Wendy, in absolute shock.

Wendy practically _facepalmed_! She was so _careless_..

"Um.." Wendy began, a nervous smile on her face. "Y- Yeah, sweetie, but.. It's all fine now. Just a small little moment. Nothing to worry about."

Adia still seemed a bit concerned, but nodded anyways. She turned around and laid back down, wanting to get some more sleep.. At least until her Mom or Dad got back.

Carandial had to smirk a bit. "Nice save..."

"You're telling _me_.." Wendy whispered. She then sighed once again, leaning back in her chair. She sat the balloons on a nearby table, for everyone to get later.

"So.." Wendy began. "I don't think we've properly met, have we?"

Carandial and Caesarius shook their heads. "Your friend Jack saved us after crashed here a while back. He gave us a job." Carandial mused.

"He made us Admirals in his fleet. Caesarius, pleasure to meet you miss." Caesarius introduced himself.

"Admirals, huh?" Wendy smirked. "Nice! I've never been _crazy_ about war.. Downright _despise_ it, actually.. But I _do_ respect our military and those who protect us.. Thanks for your service against Adolf Fatass.." She half-joked.

Carandial cocked a brow. "No problem. It's not a pretty business, but it's necessary. Carandial, pleasure to meet you."

"Wendy.. And it's a pleasure, Admirals!" Wendy replied with a friendly grin.

Carandial smiled back. Wendy then noticed Nala was asleep in Carandial's arms. His eyes widened a bit, and he seemed a little embarrassed that someone saw him like that.

"That is _soo_ precious!" Wendy commented, looking at the sight with a smile, catching Carandial a bit off guard.

Carandial looked away, avoiding eye contact with her. "I'd _never_ hear the end of this if our former comrades were here…."

Caesarius shrugged. "Yes, I can definitely see the Emperor getting enjoyment out of this..."

"Oh, it's _fine_.." Wendy reassured, still making googly eyes at the scene. She was always crazy for cute moments like these. "She looks pretty _comfortable_ with you, actually.."

Carandial shrugged. "Ugh, not here for a month and I'm already stuck with babysitting."

He looked at Wendy with a slight grin. "Are you done humiliating me? I'm an Imperial Admiral, do you _really_ think I need this on my file?" Though he said it more jokingly than anything.

Wendy shrugged.

"I dunno, maybe just a few more times.." She joked back with a slight chuckle.

"Take a picture, it will last longer sweetheart." Carandial chuckled.

Wendy cocked a brow, but also smirked.

"I was about to tell _you_ the same thing.." She said. "Eyes are up _here_ , not down there.. Don't think I didn't see you when I walked in.." She tried embarrassing the Basileus.

Carandial's eyes widened a bit. Caesarius started to laugh. "Oh no..."

Carandial thought for a moment. He honestly _didn't_ know how to respond to that. Though, she was kind of pretty actually…

He could already hear his old friends from the Empire laughing at him.

Still…

He shrugged. "Well how else do you appreciate a work of art?"

Wendy flushed red for a mere second, but she quickly recovered.

"Oh, so we're doing _pick-up lines_ now?" Wendy asked him, still with a hint of nervousness and amusement.

Carandial shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about sweetheart..."

"Well then.. if that ends up being how your species _insults_ somebody, I'd hate to find out what they do for love.." Wendy half-teased.

Carandial chuckled. "Oh trust me, you really don't..."

He grinned. "Want to hear a story from beyond the stars? Because as an Admiral, I've...what's the expression, 'seen some shit'..."

Caesarius looked at Carandial with a surprised expression, while Wendy simply cocked a brow .

"Oh?" She asked, looking at the clock. "I have time. _Enlighten_ me, Oh Great Boob Starer.." She joked once more.

Carandial shrugged. "Well, this happened not too long ago actually..."

Carandial proceeded to tell her a story about the time he had been given exploration duty in an unknown part of the galaxy. It was an interesting story to say the least. He had ended up getting into a fight with robotic drones _and_ shapeshifting aliens, and somehow beat _both_. It was a story of fantastic worlds and amazing sights. And by the time he finished, Wendy was completely _mesmerized_!

"Wow.." She spoke in awe. "So.. All of that actually _happened_? How long ago did you say that was again?.."

Carandial shrugged. "A half year ago." He pulled up his sleeve to show he still had the scar from when a drone had cut him. "Trust me, you _don't_ want to deal with those bastards..."

He then added. "And...I actually had to fight Zillum's fleet in a battle not long after."

"Zillum.." Wendy spoke with hate and malice. "Oh yeah, I remember _him_.."

She then cocked a brow of curiousness, however.

"So what became of _that_?" She asked.

Carandial chuckled. "Well, he was attacking a vital planet. Captured the local governor, and had nearly taken the planet. And then I arrived with my fleet and we sent him running back to his homeworld with his tail between his legs. I was promoted and proceeded to end the war not long after. He got away though, but he remembers us both no doubt."

He then asked. "So, any stories you have to tell at all? I heard you were one of Cartman's enemies. Heard you beat him up once."

Wendy couldn't help but chuckle, while at the same time, remember Cartman with absolute disgust.

"Yeah.. I remember _that_.." Wendy remarked. "To sum it up, that _fatass_ mocked a presentation I made about breast cancer _awareness_ in like.. _fifth_ grade?" She was silent for a bit. "Anyways, long story short, his fat ass _paid_ for it! He's pissed me off before, but I guess that just.. _did_ it for me.."

Carandial nodded. "Good for you then."

He then asked. "He actually _mocked_ something like that?"

Wendy nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah.. But then again, _who's_ surprised? That bastard would mock _anything_ if it meant offending someone or making them _feel_ bad.."

Carandial looked at her. "Sounds a bit familiar actually...Some of my species were very snobbish and prejudiced towards others. I was raised that way by a very traditional family. I was guilty of that same thing...That's why I'm kind of _glad_ I'm here on Earth. At least I'm just a weird alien and not an invader like those from that movie where those tripods came from...what's the name...the red planet in this solar system?"

Wendy simply responded,

"Um.. Mars?"

He nodded. "Thank you."

There was a bit of silence for a moment. Carandial sighed. "So what _was_ this town like _before_ all this happened? I keep hearing people talking about how different it was..."

Wendy nodded.

"Oh _yes_.." She answered. "It was _way_ different.. South Park was _much_ more of a 'hicktown' I _guess_ you could call it, than it is now. It was smaller, more _quiet_ , had even a bit more _snow_ too.. Sure, it wasn't _perfect_ or anything. Hell, sometimes it downright sucked _ass_! But it was the _people_ I shared this town with, that made it special.. It was _home_ , despite its flaws! Still _is_.."

Carandial nodded. "Nothing can ever compare to home...Even _if_ , like you said, it has its flaws..."

He sighed. "Alright, I honestly don't know what else to say. Congratulations Wendy, you've officially stumped me."

Wendy chuckled slightly.

"I seem to do that to people.." She remarked.

Carandial chuckled. "Doesn't surprise me..."

"Get a room.." Adia of all people remarked, still trying to get some sleep. She was definitely getting older and much more mature, though living with Drew would probably _do_ that to you.. He had _quite_ the mouth sometimes.

Wendy gasped and covered her mouth, flushing red. That had come _completely_ from left field!

"The kid's right..." Caesarius sighed. "It's kinda obvious you two are totally into each other..."

Carandial's eyes widened in shock.

"What!?" Wendy exclaimed. "Gross! _No_.. I-" She tried to think of an excuse. "I already like someone else, _anyways_.."

It wasn't _too_ far from the truth.. She _still_ held slight feelings for Batman, and even lingering ones for _Stan_.. Even though _one_ she knew she didn't have a chance in _hell_ with, and the second.. well.. The second never came back around..

Carandial nodded. "She's right. It...just wouldn't work even if there _was_ anything there..."

"Y- Yeah.." Wendy agreed. "Exactly."

"Whateverrr.." Adia spoke once again, her eyes still shut.

Caesarius was about to try and give some advice, but Wendy beat him to the punch.

"I.." Wendy began, looking up at the clock and standing to her feet. "I gotta go.."

With that, she walked towards the door, but not before speaking to Adia one last time,

"Bye, Adia.. Tell your Mommy and Daddy hi for me.."

"I will.. Bye, Wendy.." Adia said, her eyes still shut.

With that, Wendy finally left.

Carandial glared daggers at Caesarius. "You just _had_ to open your mouth didn't you?"

"Carandial, you were being kind of obvious. Besides, it's not like there are many Basileus or Libertus women here..."

Carandial huffed, and after handing Nala to Caesarius, walked off, wanting to clear his head.

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Drew and Bebe arrived at the hospital first. As they headed up to the desk, they noticed Jack and Kyle walk in, Kylie still being held by Jack.

A nurse tried to prepare a gurney for her, but Kylie just clung to Jack, still crying. Jack sighed sadly, and whispered. "Kylie, I'm going to put you down onto the gurney so we can help you, I need you to be strong for me okay. It will be alright. Can you do that for me sweetheart?"

"Okay." She squeaked softly.

Bebe simply looked at the scene from a distance, her eyes widened in concern for her. She looked at Drew and whispered,

"What did The Joker _do_ to her?.. She looks so _terrified_! Scarred, almost.."

Drew looked at her with a serious expression and shook his head, whispering back,

"You don't wanna know.. She most likely _is_.."

"Poor _thing_.." Bebe said, shaking her head now, not taking her eyes away from the scene.

Jack placed her gently onto the gurney, and the nurse took her towards the room she'd be assigned to.

Jack took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"Mr. and Mrs King?"

Drew and Bebe turned to see a doctor approaching. They looked at each other momentarily, smirke on both of their faces.

It was a bit funny, because they weren't exactly _married_ yet..

It made them wonder, though..

"Your daughter is doing better, she can leave tonight with you if you wish."

"Oh, thank God!" Bebe said with utmost relief. Drew gave a relieved smile as well.

"Can we go in and see her? What room is she in?" Drew questioned.

"Room 9B, with her cousins Amelia and Simba. We're taking Kylie there now."

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Alex and Cate waited in the hospital room with the kids. Nala had finally woken up and was sitting on Alex's lap. Alex was stroking Nala's back, explaining that he would henceforth be reducing his errands with the Avengers.

"Ever since the second generation Avengers were replicated, I can focus my attention on my family and friends," he declared.

"The incident reminded us how fragile our existence is, and that there is more to life than serving when all that is needed to enjoy living is to spend time with your loved ones," Cate added.

Nala smiled and nuzzled Alex's arm. "I'm glad you've come to that decision, Dad," she said. She had started calling Alex by that title not long after the adoption was formalised. "I missed you so much when you were away," she added.

"I missed you too. Not a second went by when I didn't think about you and your mum," Alex said as he kissed the lioness cub on her forehead.

The door opened, and a nurse wheeled a gurney in that contained Kylie. Behind them, Jack, Kyle, Drew and Bebe followed.

"Kylie..." Simba whimpered in shock.

"Sis...are you okay?" Amelia asked nervously.

Kylie shook her head.

Adia perked up upon seeing Drew and Bebe.

"Hey Mommy!" She now looked Drew exclusively now, I smile on her face. "And Daddy! You finally came!"

"Of _course_ I did, Adia.." Drew smiled in return, sitting next to her and bringing her into an embrace. "I'm just so glad you're okay.."

"Yeah.. Me too. It was _scary_." Adia admitted, beginning to cringe slightly. "Everyone just wouldn't stop.. _laughing_! They looked like they were hurt _bad_! It was _horrible_.."

"I know, honey.. I know.." Drew softly said, still embracing her.

"But it's all over now.." Bebe added, trying to make the mood better. "Batman, Jack, and Kyle put The Joker away for _good_.. He won't be around to hurt no one, _anymore_.."

Adia felt _much_ better once she said that.

"Y- You _promise_?.." She asked Bebe.

Bebe looked at Drew, before looking back down at Adia.

"I _promise_ , baby.. He's not getting out of prison.. He'll be in there so he doesn't hurt _anyone_ else." She responded to Adia's question. She tried explaining it the best she could for Adia's age. Sure, she was becoming way more mature, but she was still just a cub..

Drew smiled at Adia when he saw her blissful expression.. Her expression of _relief_ and _hope_..

But even still, there was still that _one_ lingering feeling in the back of Drew's mind..

What if The Joker _did_ escape?..

What if he did something like this _again_?..

Drew was certain that most likely wouldn't happen.. The Joker was _too_ dangerous to be without high security and proper precautions..

Right?..

Jack was still silent. He sat in a chair between Simba and Amelia's bed on one side and Kylie's on the other.

Jack looked at the others. "I can't believe this..."

"Twenty five people are dead and thirty wounded...Because of that bastard..."

"And that's not counting the other _speculated_ deaths.." Drew sighed, still sitting down.

"He's clearly not going to repent or stop his foul deeds. Is it worth keeping him behind bars, allowing him to breathe the same air as good people? He cannot be changed, he cannot be redeemed. He has done and will continue to do awful things," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "We should just kill him. So this never happens again..."

"I'm kind of inclined to agree with you.." Drew said. However, he looked down to the ground, as if conflicted by something. "But.. He's behind bars now.. It's over. Shouldn't we just let the system just run its cours-"

Jack sighed. "We have all the proof we need. He's a monster that deserves nothing but death..."

"He has condemned so many innocent people to death. They can no longer enjoy life, and nor can their loved ones. We must prevent anymore people from being hurt on his account. Any 'punishment' will have no effect on him. And anyone who acts in his name should meet the same fate," Cate declared her opinion.

Jack stopped for a moment. "I do agree with that, but...we also _can't_ begin witch-hunts to root out any supporters. We have him. And as much as I would like to end him, killing him would make him a martyr. We should keep him in prison and not let _anyone_ near him. Zero contact with the outside world until he dies."

"That would be most boring indeed. Oh, well. He deserves to be that bored. He tortured people to the point where they begged for death, so let's see if he likes the taste of his own medicine," Alex said.

Kyle frowned slightly. He wanted to make the Joker pay for what he had done, but he had to agree.

"That's what must be done.." Drew agreed, giving a sigh afterwards. He was just so _exhausted_..

It had been quite a day..

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Alex and Cate departed the room to attend the sonographer appointment to check on the progress of Cate's pregnancy. The appointment had been arranged a couple of days before, and the incident coincided with it, so they decided to attend it a couple of hours early.

Suddenly, Alex bore a smile of excitement and nervousness.

"I don't know if I'm more excited or more nervous," he said. "I'm excited to see our babies, but I'm worried that there's going to be something wrong. I anticipate raising our children, but I fear that I will do wrong on them. I acknowledge that inconsequential mistakes will be made, but I'm afraid of doing something that will make them hate me," he added.

"Alex, first of all, you need to shut up. Secondly, you know you're going to do the best you can, that you're going to do what you believe is right, and that's the least you can do. You don't need all this; power, material wealth, status, you just need to be you, a loving individual," Cate said. She then kissed him on his cheek.

"The fact that you are nervous of doing the wrong thing means you are doing something right," she added. Alex responded by leaning his head on her shoulder.

"You're always right. That's one of the reasons why I love you," Alex declared.

The receptionist then called for them to enter the sonographer's room, which was at the last door to the left before a fire exit. Inside it was slightly dark, illuminated by the screen of the machine and a dim light.

"Hello, Your Majesties," the Male sonographer greeted.

"Ah, you can just call us by our names. We're all made of the same gene's," Alex smiled. Cate chuckled slightly.

"Right, if you could just hop on there, Cate," the sonographer motioned to the chair next to the monitor.

The sonographer applied the jelly, which made Cate giggle, such was the cold, tickling sensation it made. Her stomach was slightly swollen, indicating that her pregnancy was at the halfway point.

"I understand that Bebe Stevens went through a similar pregnancy. It is indeed a remarkable phenomenon," the sonographer commented as he directed the probe until he saw the twins. He then smiled as they appeared to be 'hugging' each other.

"Aw, isn't that a nice image. That's definitely being printed," he said.

"They love each other already," Alex joked, drawing a smile of happiness from Cate.

"They're adorable," she commented.

The sonographer cocked his brow slightly.

"Would you like to know their gender?" he offered. Cate and Alex looked at each other before nodding at the sonographer.

"Yeah, go ahead."

The sonographer smiled. "Well, I'm delighted to report the good health of your twin boys," he said.

Alex smiled before laughing slightly due to his excessive joy and anticipation. However, he abruptly stopped himself from exclaiming his joy when he saw Cate's cocked brow. "I mean… that's good… I guess," he stuttered.

"Worry not, Alex. I expect you to react the same way when we have girls," she chuckled.

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Carandial had adapted to the cold of their new home better then Caesarius had. Indeed, his years as an Admiral had definitely accustomed him to the various environments you'd find across the galaxy, and he had developed a high tolerance for cold and heat.

For that reason, he felt comfortable going on these walks down the street. It allowed him to get to know the town a bit more, and it gave him time to think.

Right now, his thoughts were on what had happened last night with the Terran girl, Wendy. He had _no_ idea why, but she stood out to him for some reason. He had met plenty of females on his various missions and travels, but of all the people to stick out to him…

Carandial was a proud being. He didn't really like the idea of just following the orders of many of the bureaucrats on back on Orbispira. That was one of the reasons he respected Tyromairon, as well as Jack and Caesarius. All three _knew_ what they were doing. Hell, Jack had led from the front, something he didn't see many commanders do…

As Carandial walked further down the street close to the middle of town, he began to hear a bit of a commotion. Not really anything crazy, just some louder voices.

"Smiling star, boys! Let's do it for the King!" A man shouted to a large group of gathered men who were wearing what _appeared_ to be, strange enough, _clown_ masks.. The group was standing beside the high school.

"Smiling star! Smiling star! Hahaha!" The men chanted back at their supposed 'ringleader'.

Needless to say, it was… pretty _strange_ , as well as off putting.

Carandial ducked behind a nearby car, and observed the men. He cocked a brow, wondering what was going on. Something told him it wasn't good though. He pulled out his pistol just in case, though he didn't want tbo use it.

 _Wait…_

The Basileus admiral had used his weapons to end countless lives _many_ times before. Why did he care all of a sudden?

The ringleader of the group began to step closer to the high school's entrance, before extending his arms to his side. The group of men all began to run away from the building, as if.. something was about to _happen_.

"Long live the King! Long live The Joker!" The ringleader shouted. As he did so, he pulled out what looked like a _detonator_ from his pocket! "HAHAHA!"

Carandial's eyes widened, but before he could so much as make a move, the ringleader had already pressed the button..

 _BOOM!_

A fiery explosion caused just about the whole _school_ to blow up, minus certain parts, killing the ringleader along with it. It appeared a couple of the bombs ended up being duds, fortunately enough..

But there were _cars_ there! There were _people_ inside!

"LONG LIVE THE JOKER! HAHAHA!" The crazy group of men in clown masks shouted, before running off into the streets.

Who knew _what_ they had planned next!

Carandial looked to be at a bit of a crossroads: stop the men, or look for survivors in the high school?..

The admiral stood up, and made ready to run after them, but something stopped him. He had no idea what, but he just _couldn't_ leave these people there.

"All available Imperial Units, Police, Paramedics and Firefighters! This is Admiral Carandial! Explosion at the High School! All available units respond!"

As he spoke into his communicator, he rushed towards the school gym, which had been the only part of the school with any lights on. However, a large part of it had caved in, and a rock had fallen in front of the only exit, blocking the way.

As he approached, Carandial heard shouting from inside the gym.

"HELP!" There was a bit of coughing that followed. The voice was a feminine one, as well as one that was _all_ too familiar.. "ANYBODY OUT THERE!?" She attempted, seeing if anyone would hear her plea.

Carandial's eyes widened, and he rushed towards the door. A Basileus was stronger than a human, so he had no problem shoving the rock out of the way, and with one great pull, tore the door off, freeing the people inside. He looked inside, and saw fire _everywhere_!

All the lights were now off, no doubt because the generator that supplied the building's power was completely _destroyed_ now.. So it was _dark_..

Carandial noticed smoke covering the majority of the gym, which caused him to cough slightly. It was _pretty_ bad.. The heat could be felt where he was standing.

"AHHH!" Carandial heard the same voice shout again. "IT BURNS! Oh fuck, it _burns_!"

At that moment, he locked eyes on _her_.

 _Wendy_..

She was trapped underneath a large light that had fallen from the ceiling. Beside her, and all around the gym, there were charred and burned bodies of those who had attended.. There was a volleyball game going on at the time, which Wendy was competing in, and _none_ of them had ever seen it coming..

There were a few _more_ screams of anguish, so there _were_ survivors! But Carandial would _need_ to act fast! That statement would be reinforced when Carandial saw another light fall from the gym's ceiling, nearly crushing one of the survivors.

The school could collapse _any_ time.. He had some time, but who knew how long?..

At that moment, he heard a few soldiers rush in. "Admiral! We received your call!"

"Get the survivors out of here and to the damned hospital!" The Admiral barked.

Without another word, he rushed towards Wendy. The flames weren't touching her, but were _really_ close! Close enough to where the heat was _extremely_ painful and uncomfortable.. She couldn't see him in the dark, but he could see her a bit more clearly. He lifted the light off as quickly and safely as possible, and pushed it away, before he picked her up and made for the exit.

As he retreated, the soldiers retreated with the other survivors, six or seven people in all. As the last soldier retreated, the gym collapsed.

Carandial turned to hear the sounds of ambulances approaching. He was caught off guard when he heard Wendy speak.

"G- Guess this gives 'pickup' lines.. a whole n-new meaning.." She tried to joke, before she finally succumbed to the pain and the burns, falling unconscious.

For a moment, Carandial was speechless. He couldn't believe he had just done this. He had rescued not only Wendy, but _several_ of these people in the nick of time. He turned to see a mother reuniting with her daughter who had been in the building. The mother looked at him for a moment, before she tearfully turned to him and said,

"Thank you.. Thank you for saving my baby.. I just left for one _minute_ to get something out of the _car_ and-" She then began to bawl even more, hugging her daughter tighter. "Oh, _God_.."

Carandial didn't know how to respond to this. "I...did what was right, Miss."

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The light blurred Wendy's vision as her eyes began to creep open. Whether she was dead or alive, she didn't quite know yet.. All she knew was that she was in _so_ much pain right now..

The light had landed on her midsection, probably cracking a few ribs, not to _mention_ the burns she still felt on the left side of her body; most notably all down her left leg and arm.

"Are you alright Wendy?"

Wendy didn't even try sitting up. She knew it would be way too difficult and uncomfortable to do so. Instead, she just shifted her gaze towards Carandial from where she was currently laying.

Wendy gave a pained sigh.

"As alright as I _can_ be.." She replied. Wendy then gasped. "Oh my God! Were there any other survivors!? Are they okay!? What about Heidi and Red and-" She was cut off by Carandial.

"They're alright, don't worry." He said gently. "We were able to get them out in time."

Wendy gave a sigh of relief, but was _still_ on edge!

"Who _did_ this?.. Who would _do_ such a thing?.." She questioned aloud, tears beginning to come to her eyes.

"Followers of the Joker, or at least, people inspired by his actions. We caught a few as they retreated, but a few are still out there..."

Carandial looked down. "My priority was getting the people in there out. However, don't think I didn't tip off the police. They're looking for these criminals as we speak."

Wendy stayed silent for a bit, before she perked up slightly.

"What about _Batman_?.." She asked: "Have you told _him_? Maybe _he_ could help out.."

Carandial cocked a brow. "Well, Caesarius did mention the Batman might be helping out already. Caesarius respects him, it seems."

He then smirked. "Why so interested in his movements this evening? Was he who you were talking about at our last meeting?"

Wendy's face began to flush red.

" _No_." She confirmed seriously, though still a bit embarrassed. She _did_ still hold some sort of interest in Batman.. But, she's come to realize the reality of it to be more like a celebrity crush.. There wasn't a chance in _hell_..

And besides…

Carandial was-

Wendy's eyes widened. She didn't almost.. _think_ that, did she? No! No, she didn't.. It was just the injuries taking a bit of a toll on her..

Was it?..

Wendy then noticed she hadn't fully answered his question,

"I- I mean sure I _did_ like him.. But like.. No, that's not who I was talking about. I just thought his help is what is needed. He's already done _so_ much for this town, both _during_ the war, and after it.."

Carandial nodded. "He did assist in rescuing the Princess I hear..."

He looked down, away from Wendy. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable in our last meeting by the way.."

Wendy cocked a brow.

"Uncomfortable?.." She questioned. "What are you talking about?"

He chuckled. "Don't you remember the 'great boob-starer' comment?"

Wendy couldn't help but giggle slightly.

"Oh yeah, _that_.." She said. Her expression then became a more serious one. "You _didn't_ make me uncomfortable.. I promise. Hell, if it was fourth grade me, I would've taken it as a _compliment_.." She reflected, remembering the time when Bebe's boobs were starting to grow in, leaving Wendy feeling a bit jealous.

All the boys were all _over_ Bebe then..

Those were the days..

Carandial cocked a brow. "And why is that?"

Wendy sighed with a smirk, and asked rather abruptly,

"I'm gonna have to tell you about Bebe's boobs, aren't I?.."

Carandial blinked. "Oh no..." He said, though he was honestly a bit curious as to where this was going.

Wendy went on to tell the _whole_ story of what happened in fourth grade.. About what happened on all sides, how all the boys acted, what Bebe told Wendy how she felt about it, and just everything.

At the end of it, Carandial was both amused, and a bit disturbed. "I will _never_ understand this planet...Honestly though, don't care. It's actually a pretty nice place to live."

He stopped, before asking. "So you're saying that stuff like that used to happen on a regular basis…? I mean, I've heard some stories, but I'll be honest, I wasn't quite sure they were even real..."

"Best get _used_ to it, 'Mr. Basileus'.." Wendy responded half-sarcastically. "And yep, they're _very_ real.. Welcome to South Park." She ended with a slight laugh.

"No wonder you humans are crazy... _I_ personally wouldn't be able to get through all that with my sanity intact..." Carandial commented. "I honestly am surprised that you have been able to stay sane, when a lot of other people here _aren't_."

Wendy looked down, before saying with sincerity,

"Well.. I can't say I did it all on my own…" She the looked back up. "I owe _everything_ to my friends, and those who stuck by me through the years.. Bebe is my _best_ friend. Then Heidi and Red are also pretty good friends of mine.. Then there's even Kyle, Kenny, Drew, Jack,-" She hesitated, not even _sure_ if she could mention the _last_ name she had in mind..

Did he.. even really _care_ anymore? Even as a _friend_?..

To this very day, it _still_ hurt Wendy inside..

Carandial noticed her discomfort. "Friendship is a very important thing, and something I regret never really taking seriously...I was always a loner growing up. Even as an Admiral, I was kind of distant, and now I regret it even more now that I actually _realize_ how much any person needs that companionship..."

Wendy looked down, absorbing his words. After what seemed like a few seconds of silence, Wendy broke it by saying,

"Well, _I_ could be your friend.."

Carandial froze, and looked at her. "I..." He didn't quite know what to say. He looked into her eyes, and noticed she was sincere.

He smiled slightly. "Thank you, Wendy..."

He then took a deep breath. "Perhaps...we could, get Coffee or something later? Wait, did I say that right? Is that the expression?"

Wendy widened her eyes at this. The utter shock on her face was very obvious.

Once it wore off slightly, and Carandial began to rethink his choice of words, Wendy asked him with a slight smirk,

"Oh, so that's your way of asking me out, is it?"

Carandial looked at her, before chuckling. "I guess you could say that, sweetheart." He replied, using the same nickname he had called her in their last meeting.

Wendy rolled her eyes, still smirking,

"Oh, _whatever_ , 'Boob Starer'.. You'd better _drink_ that coffee too!"

Wendy wasn't saying it aloud, but on the inside, she was feeling.. _good_! Fantastic, even!

She actually felt like she was _worth_ something again..

No thanks to Stan..

She gave a small, but unnoticeable sigh once again, before simply continuing her conversation with Carandial. She would be in the hospital for a little while, anyways, so why not have a bit of fun to pass the time?

For the first time in a _long_ time, Wendy began to feel something..

 _Happiness_..

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Jack slammed his fist on the wall in frustration. THREE attacks in a matter of weeks! Was this _really_ happening?!

Drew put his hand on Jack's shoulder, trying to calm his friend down.

"Calm yourself.. No sense in having to pay for a new wall.. We're gonna figure this out. These fuckers will _pay_ , but we need to stay level-headed!" Drew said.

Jack sighed, and nodded in agreement. "I know, it's just..."

Kyle cut him off. "Like Drew said, we'll figure this out. I mean, we beat Cartman _and_ the Joker right? We can handle these guys."

Jack nodded, silently, still mulling everything over.

"I _still_ can't believe they killed _all_ those poor people!" Bebe added, a couple tears streaming down her face. She had known _most_ of the people in that building that passed away, as did most of the _town_ , really.. "I could've _lost_ my best friend in that explosion! Wendy's _okay_ , thank _God_.. But she's in the hospital now. I think I'll go see her later tonight.."

Drew gave Bebe a small hug of reassurance and comfort. He _knew_ how much Bebe cared about this town, and everyone in it. And to _see_ the town in the shape it's in now? As well as having _many_ she knew _die_? That was _sure_ to be taking a toll on her..

After all, she was one of this town's strongest supporters and believers.. It truly hurt her to see it this way..

And Drew _knew_ that..

That gave him _complete_ motivation every time he put on the cape and cowl.. He _knows_ how much she loves South Park, and that was perhaps his number one _push_ that inspired him to keep fighting..

Hell, even _he_ grew to see it as his true home.. He hated to see it deteriorate like this, as well..

Kyle frowned. "Perhaps we could go visit Wendy? Just to make sure she's doing alright? I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Jack thought for a moment. "You guys can go. But I am going to help track down these criminals so this doesn't happen again..."

"I'll help out.." Drew told Jack. He then looked at Bebe, who instead of having her usual suspicious expression, held an understanding and knowing one.

It seemed their little 'conversation' helped out a _lot_..

"I understand." Bebe whispered to Drew, before giving him a slight smile and a peck on the lips. "Me and Kyle will be down there for awhile, just in case you guys need us.. All you gotta do is call or.. whatever." She spoke to both Drew and Jack now.

Kyle nodded in agreement.

Jack looked at Drew. "Let's see what we can find."

Drew nodded in acknowledgment, before he told Bebe on her way out the door,

"Be _safe_ out there.. You never know with these _lunatics_ out there nowadays.. Love you."

"I should be telling _you_ that.." Bebe rolled her eyes before giving a slight giggle. "Love you too."

Jack kissed Kyle on the forehead as he left. "If something happens, just remember your training."

Kyle nodded firmly.

With that, Jack followed Drew out the door, while Kyle and Bebe headed to the car.

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"How do you think she's doing?" Kyle asked as they entered the hospital.

Bebe gave a sigh of worry and answered seriously,

"Your guess is as good as mine.. I just hope she's _okay_. That fire looked _horrible_! Who _knows_ what we're even gonna do for school now. But that's _besides_ the point.."

Kyle only shrugged in response. "We'll figure something out. The room's down here right?"

Bebe nodded.

"That's what the nurse told us.." She responded. "Should be this one down here."

When they got there, Kyle and Bebe were surprised to see Wendy chatting with Admiral Carandial.

"You're _seriously_ saying you got in trouble for telling that 'Butters' kid his... _crush_ was a hobbit?" Carandial asked, chuckling a bit in exasperation.

"Yeah!" Wendy laughed, recalling the memory once again. She then shrugged. "I don't see how I could get in trouble for telling the truth.. Facts is facts.."

Carandial shrugged. "You're absolutely correct on that. If only people actually listened to facts more, instead of...yeah let's not get into that kind of things. I really don't like discussing politics of any kind..."

Kyle looked at Bebe, a bit confused by this.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"No idea.." She responded in a whisper, not taking her eyes away from them.

Wendy was about to reply to Carandial's comment, when she noticed Bebe and Kyle. She flinched, getting a bit startled by their sudden appearance, but quickly regained her composure.

"Oh, h- hey, guys!" Wendy greeted with a nervous grin. "It's _so_ good to see you, best friend!" She said to Bebe, with a bit more energy.

Bebe returned a slight smile, though it was a bit forced. She was mostly curious as to why she was talking with Carandial..

Not that she had a _problem_ with Carandial or anything.. It was just that Wendy and Carandial hadn't really _talked_ at all, before any of this..

Kyle seemed to have the same thoughts.

"Are you alright Wendy? We...heard about what happened at the volleyball game..."

Wendy's expression reverted in an instant. She went from excited to see them, to heartbroken and traumatized.

"I-" Wendy began. "I'm as okay as I _can_ be.. I have burns up the left side of my body, and I think a few cracked ribs.. It was _horrible_!"

She shook her head, before continuing a few seconds later.

"I mean.. the burning heat, and the- the _screaming_ , and the _darkness_! It was-"

Wendy was unable to continue, as she began to cry upon remembering that terrifying experience.. One that would stick with her for a _long_ time..

Bebe widened her eyes slightly upon seeing her friend beginning to cry, but she _completely_ understood it.. Right then and there, her 'best friend' instincts told her to console her..

Wendy was wrapped into a comforting hug by Bebe, in an attempt to help calm her down a little bit, and to put her at ease..

"I know, Wendy.. I know.." Bebe softly told Wendy. "I'm here.."

Wendy merely hugged her tighter, letting the tears _flow_ now.. She began to think just what all she lost, and what she _could_ have lost:

Wendy could have lost her life, she could've lost a few more of her friends that survived the explosion as well, but _most_ of all, she could have lost _everything_ that she cared about..

With the loss of her life, she would have lost _everything_.. But that wouldn't be the _only_ thing her death affected.. Her _family_ and _friends_ would have suffered as well.. They would have felt _heartbroken_ , and it would've just been an all around _worse_ situation..

So for that, Wendy had to look on the _bright_ side of this whole thing.. At least she hadn't _died_.. At least she still had her best friends.. At least it didn't ever _come_ to any of that..

"We're all here for you, Wendy. You're not alone in this." Carandial added.

Wendy looked at Carandial through her still tear-filled eyes, but gave a forced grin.

"Th- Thank you, Carandial.. I appreciate it, you guys. I really do." Wendy responded.

Another minute or so went by, before Wendy finally dried her tears up slightly, and let go of the embrace.

"So where's Drew and Jack?.." Wendy asked Bebe and Kyle. "They busy, or what are they up to these days?.."

"Jack and Drew went to help find those lunatics." Kyle shrugged.

"I see.." Wendy replied in understanding. "Well hopefully they find them! They _need_ to be caught.. Before they hurt _more_ people.."

"Agreed.." Bebe nodded, followed by a sigh. "I _hate_ seeing what our town has _become_.. I miss our _old_ South Park.. I miss it a lot.."

Wendy gave a small sigh of her own, and after a couple seconds responded softly,

"I do too.."

Kyle looked down, agreeing. Things had changed _so_ much in the past few months. While some of that change was good, much of it wasn't…

Carandial looked down, feeling a little out of place. "Wendy, if you want I can go for now-"

"No.." Wendy cut him off, making it unintentionally obvious that she was comfortable with him being here. "You.. You don't have to leave if you don't want to. We don't mind.. Do we, guys?" She asked, trying to hide some of those obvious feelings the best she could. However, she was still unsuccessful.

Bebe cocked a brow. _Something_ was a bit off.. That much was certain.

And she had a _strange_ feeling she knew what it was..

It was _all_ too familiar..

' _She can't REALLY be-'_ Bebe thought to herself, considering, yet still questioning, that possibility as being true.

"Um..." Kyle began, looking between Wendy and Carandial. "What's going on? Are you two..."

He was just as puzzled as Bebe about this. As far as he knew, Carandial and Wendy had never spoken before, and yet... _something_ was going on between them. That much was clear.

Wendy sighed, _absolutely_ nervous at this point. She looked over at Carandial, as if visually asking him what they should _do_..

It was obvious that Bebe and Kyle knew.. Or at least, they were greatly suspicious of it.

Carandial nodded, signalling that he believed they should tell them.

"She's your best friend.. I think we should tell her."

"Wendy.." Bebe began to softly speak, her suspicion and anxiety going through the _roof_ at this point. "What is-"

"Me and Carandial are going out.." Wendy abruptly said aloud.

The room was filled with stunned silence..

You could hear a _pin_ drop..

Kyle blinked, not sure he had heard that right.

For a moment, he was about to question what she had said, but he immediately remembered the fact that some people didn't exactly approve of him and Jack's relationship. With that in mind, Kyle smiled slightly.

"Con-congratulations, guys." He said, still processing that information.

"Thank you, Kyle.." Wendy graciously replied. "What do you think, Bebe?.."

Bebe's face was simply frozen in shock. Her mouth was agape and her eyes were widened. She had saw it coming just moments ago, but hearing it aloud was simply a different story, altogether..

"Bebe?.." Wendy caught her attention once again, growing a bit nervous now.

"Y- You.." Bebe began, finding it difficult to speak in her state of shock. "And- and Caran- Carandial.."

Out of nowhere, Bebe fell to the floor with a thud.

She had fainted..

Carandial blinked. "Should...I call a doctor or something?" He asked.

"Bebe!" Wendy exclaimed in concern for her friend. Not to mention how _embarrassed_ she was now..

But of course, it was _going_ to be quite a shock when they found out.. She couldn't be too surprised..

Wendy sighed.

"Maybe just call her mom.." Wendy softly spoke. "She probably needs a bit of rest, anyways.. It's getting late now.."

Kyle pulled out his phone. "I can call Drew and Jack. They could pick us up."

"You sure?" Wendy asked with a cocked brow. "They're not too _busy_ , are they? Because I mean, I wouldn't want to distract them from their investigation if-"

"Jack texted me and said they had found the last of them and to call when we were ready to head home." Kyle replied.

"Okay." Wendy said in understanding. "Well.. I'll leave you to it. Oh and uh.. Sorry about the sudden news." She nervously chuckled. "It just sorta.. _happened_.." Wendy finished, as she looked at Carandial with a slight smile.

Carandial smiled back slightly.

"It's fine, Wendy. You should have seen Kenny when he found out Jack and I were dating..." Kyle chuckled at the memory, especially at Alex's comment about Kenny wasting the hot dog.

"I'll bet it was Kenny being Kenny!" Wendy laughed.

However, she couldn't _help_ her thoughts drifting to a certain _other_ friend in their 'group'..

It made her feel those _same_ feelings of betrayal and heartbreak _all_ over again.. Everytime she thought of Stan, she just couldn't _help_ but feel that way..

It was more because of one simple thought in her mind: ' _Why?'_

Why did he do this? Why did he treat her the way he did as of late? It was like she didn't even _exist_..

And it hurt and affected her _greatly_..

However, her thoughts them shifted to a more _positive_ light! She had _Carandial_ , now.. She shouldn't let _Stan_ make her feel bad! She had found someone _new_.. Someone who would treat her _right_..

So why should she have to feel bad over someone who _obviously_ didn't give a fuck either way?..

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Deathstroke stepped into the bridge of the _Benevolent_ , Zillum's flagship, which was currently cruising through the depths of space. Their allies had been destroyed, and they had been forced from Earth. Now, the future was uncertain. That much was obvious.

However, when one of Zillum's crew informed Slade that Zillum had come across something...interesting.

Deathstroke entered the Observation Room, immediately spotting Zillum inside, staring out a giant window, stars scattering about the sky for what seemed like miles.

"Zillum.." Deathstroke greeted, stepping closer.

Zillum turned. "Slade," he greeted with a curt nod.

"The mission was a success. The signal led me right to it."

Deathstroke pulled out a cigar from his pocket, and began to light it. As he did so, he asked Zillum with slight curiosity,

"Led you to what, if I may be so bold?.."

Zillum's lip curled back in a slight smirk, before he he pulled a…

Deathstroke had to drop his cigar on the ground, marvelling at the sight of what Zillum had found..

"Is that a.. Replicator?" Deathstroke asked aloud, though he already knew _full_ well what the answer was..

Zillum nodded. "Yes,"

He looked back to the window. "Deathstroke, the future is uncertain. The Empire is ascendant for _now_ , but make no mistake, their time will come and go. Their quest to rule their planet and beyond hasn't ended. In truth, it has only _begun_. _Far_ more dangerous enemies lurk in the darkness. Like sharks from the depths, we shall strike, and we shall _end_ them."

Deathstroke merely gave a curt nod, looking out the window, himself.

"You do realize that once my role is complete, once my job is _done_ , that I expect full payment for my services.. I won't be sticking around much longer after that, I'm afraid.. I stopped getting involved in political affairs _long_ ago, Zillum.."

Zillum nodded. "And your payment will be received, my friend. Your wealth will equal that of the richest nations of your planet. Do not fear."

He then added. "When Anderson is finally dead, you will be compensated even more."

"Believe me, Zillum.." Deathstroke began seriously. "Anderson _will_ die.. By your hand, if you so wish.. Hell, I'll hand deliver him to you on a silver _platter_ , so long as the price is right.."


	14. Chapter 13, More Strangeness

" _And you say she just passed out?"_

Bebe's consciousness was finally beginning to return to her. She didn't know how long she was out, or even remember exactly _why_ she passed out..

Well I mean, she _did_ , but it was just so.. unbelievable! This was reality.. Wendy was _actually_ dating Carandial. A.. _reptile_ of all things!

Bebe didn't want to seem rude, and she _especially_ didn't hate Carandial, but.. _still_!

" _Yeah, I told her that we were going out, and she just kinda.. fainted."_

Bebe's eyes were now opening, and she was now well enough aware to know who was talking..

Drew had asked the first question, and Wendy answered him. Most likely him and Jack were here to pick her and Kyle up..

' _How embarrassing..'_ Bebe thought.

Finally, she began to sit up, feeling a bit lightheaded. As she did so, she saw everyone inevitably staring at her.

"Well.. good morning." Drew teased her with a slight smirk. He then attained a more serious expression and held his hand out, helping Bebe to her feet. "You alright, babe?.. From what Wendy and them told me and Jack, you took _quite_ the fall.."

Bebe sighed, still very embarrassed about this whole situation, looking to the side slightly.

"I'm fine, Drew.. It's just-" She paused for a bit. "It was just _so_ unexpected and overwhelming, I- Have you _heard_?"

Drew nodded.

"Wendy and Carandial told me and Jack the news about 5 minutes ago.. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't _completely_ shocked, myself." He chuckled at the end.

Jack chuckled. "Going native are we, Admiral?"

Carandial narrowed his eyes. "Oh _haha_..." He muttered, before adding. "Piss off."

The Basileus' tone indicated amusement instead of annoyance.

"You...doing okay Bebe?" Wendy asked, still a bit concerned for her friend.

"I.. I'm fine, Wendy.." Bebe answered, clutching her head in slight pain, having a bit of a headache. "I'm just still so _overwhelmed_ by all of this.. Hopefully you understand."

There was a slight pause, before Bebe added,

"Look, I'm.. sorry if I overreacted a bit. It's just that-"

"It's fine, Bebe." Wendy replied with a slight smile.

Bebe couldn't help but return the smile, herself.

"Well.." Bebe began. "I suppose if you're happy, and he treats you right, then that's all that really matters.."

Bebe looked at Carandial with a smirk and joked,

"You wouldn't _want_ me to have to beat you up, now.."

Carandial cocked a brow. "I'm more afraid of your boyfriend and Jack..."

"But don't worry, I will treat her well, Bebe." Carandial replied seriously.

"Not much of a joker, I see.." Bebe muttered, though still containing her smirk. "Well, that's all that matters in the end.. Glad to hear it."

Carandial nodded. "I did hear a joke if you want to hear it."

"Oh?" Wendy asked, grinning slightly.

"What did the fish say when he swam into a wall?"

"Oh no.." Drew commented, pinching the bridge of his nose. He already _knew_ where this was going..

Jack and Kyle looked to each other, bracing themselves for the likely stupid punchline.

"'Dam'." Carandial replied.

Wendy giggled slightly, but shook her head in exasperation.

"Yikes.." Bebe said, smirking in a way that made it obvious that she thought the joke was a bit corny.

Carandial smirked. "You have no idea what good humor is..."

"Whatever you say, _Boob Starer_.." Bebe retorted with a smirk of her own.

Drew couldn't help but burst out laughing. How did they _know_ about that!? Clearly they knew something Carandial didn't.

Carandial rolled his eyes. "Humans..."

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"Well you've missed a lot!" Jack commented as Alex and the Avengers returned from their recent mission.

"Yeah, that seems to be the story of my life these days," Alex sighed. "More of a mission for the heavy hitters, this last one. Shouldn't be the case in the future. Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, was replicated this morning," he added.

Jack nodded in understanding.

"Well, at least you guys are back in time for the New Year."

"First time I haven't spent New Year in London. Me and my family would go to the Thames and watch the fireworks and sing Auld Lang Syne," Alex reminisced bygone New Year's Eves.

"Well, for a slightly upper class family, they are pretty humble. They refused our offer to come live with us here," Cate commented.

Jack shrugged. "You sure it wasn't just because they were worried you had gone to the dark side?"

"No, that was all cleared up. I paid for the damage I caused and donated an extra thousand dollars to charity. I haven't any more darkness inside me than usual," Alex replied.

Jack chuckled. "It was actually just me making a joke about you living in America, you know?"

"Well, I don't think of America as 'dark', so that went over my head," Alex shrugged.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on inside, guys. The others are all here."

Alex, Cate and Nala followed Jack into the living room, where, sure enough, everyone else was engaging in a conversation that had a positive atmosphere. The Christmas decorations that remained provided a festive feeling. Alex had had enough of Christmas this year. He had the stomach to prove it.

"Thank you by the way, for inviting me to join you guys." Carandial said to Drew and Bebe.

"I don't see why you wouldn't be able to." Bebe smiled. "After all.. you're.. my best friend's boyfriend." She still felt it a bit strange saying that, but she was beginning to get more used to it more than she was.

"Yeah," Drew added. "plus, Bebe told me it's kind of a tradition for her, Wendy, and her friends to get together and hang out on New Year's.. So it'd be kind of rude _not_ to invite you." He finally shrugged.

"Way I see it, you're cool with me, _Admiral_.." Drew said his title with a bit of emphasis, giving a genuine smile of his own.

Carandial smiled and nodded back. "Same here, _Emperor_."

Drew chuckled slightly, but looked off a bit in the distance in silence for a brief couple seconds. This whole 'Emperor' thing just didn't seem to get _any_ more familiar or _not_ weird to him..

Bebe felt the same way, but she wasn't often _at_ the Imperial Palace anyways. Hell, her and Drew often times still stayed in that small apartment that Drew rented when he first arrived in town.

Drew was currently in the process of keeping his kinda sorta promise from before: he was building a _new_ house that was _way_ more comfortable as far as size went, and it would be easier for him and his family to live in. It wasn't anything _too_ over the top; just a medium sized house made of brick.

It was coming together nicely so far.. Within another week at the _most_ , he figured it would finally be done. He had actually built it a _lot_ faster than he normally would have, because he got Stan and Kenny to help him out on it. Kenny had tampered with a bit of construction in the past, as well as plumbing, so he caught on fairly quick on most things.

Stan on the other hand, hadn't had much knowledge on it at _all_. It was more of a learning experience for him! And they all had fun doing it together. Drew didn't have much to say on Stan and Kenny when he first arrived in South Park, but over the months, he's started to become one of their _best_ friends.

Speak of the devil, they had just arrived.

"Hey, dudes!" Stan introduced, stepping inside with a few pizzas in his hands. They had been asked to pick it up for the New Year's party, which was starting soon. Stan, however, had a smirk on his face, looking behind him. It was as if something was about to-

"Whaddup, bitches!" Kenny dramatically greeted as he entered the door with what looked like a twelve pack of beer. "New Year!"

"Hey Kenny!" Kyle greeted with a smile, before he spotted the beer. "Oh nice!"

Jack looked at Kyle with an amused expression. "What?" Kyle asked.

"Since when did you drink?" Jack asked with a chuckle.

Kyle thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain to Jack how Kenny had taken him out drinking a little while back.

"None for us, thanks. I don't drink anyway, and Cate's reason goes without saying," Alex said.

Jack looked at Kenny with an annoyed expression.

Kenny rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Oh don't give me that _look_ , Jack.. I knew a lot of you guys would be _princesses_ about it, so there's only Coke in here. It's not _actually_ beer, see?" Kenny said, revealing that the case was, in fact, filled with Coke cans instead.

Jack blinked. "That's _why_ I'm disappointed in you Kenny. You didn't have the balls to actually bring real beer. I could care less if Kyle drinks."

Kenny merely shrugged, but before he could reply, Bebe asked with a chuckle,

"So wait.. If there's Coke in a beer case, then _where's_ the beer? Hmm?.."

Kenny replied,

" _Well_ , you see, Bebe.. That's where-"

"You _hid_ it, didn't you?" Drew smirked. "You have it here somewhere!"

"Don't ruin the surprise, asshole!" Kenny said in an annoyed way, though not serious. It was more of a friendly annoyance. Kenny then sighed. "Okay.. You got me, Sherlock.. It's here."

Jack cocked a brow. "Oh no..."

"Told you it would be too obvious, Kenny." Stan chuckled. "One was _bound_ to catch on."

" _Anyways_ ," Kenny began, ignoring Stan. "the _important_ thing is we have both! You wanna get hammered? We got beer in the fridge.. You wanna puss out and be a princess? Coke's all yours.." Kenny joked with a chuckle.

"What's wrong with being a princess?" Amelia asked, walking into the room with Kylie and Simba.

Jack held up his hand a bit, and a beer bottle hit Kenny in the head before landing in Jack's hand.

"Ow!" Kenny exclaimed. "You fuuuuu-" He trailed off, remembering the kids were now in the room. "-fuh-riendly friend, you.. That hurt.."

"Don't you mean that fucking hurt, Uncle Kenny?" Simba asked.

Everyone couldn't help but burst out into a laughter. It seemed the 'wildness' of New Year's was already beginning..

"Yeah.." Kenny replied with a smirk. "It _fucking_ hurt, Simba.. Good boy!" He then paused slightly, before rolling his eyes with a sigh, feeling obligated to add, "But try not to say that.. It's a word for the _big_ boys, you hear? Not old enough yet."

"But Uncle Drew says it all the time! And I'm a big boy! Why can't I say it?" Simba asked.

"Yeah.." Adia nodded in agreement, having entered the room just as Kenny had almost swore. "Daddy says it all the ti-"

" _Ookay_.." Drew began, standing to his feet and cutting Adia off. "Let's try not to talk about what Daddy says.. Okay, Honey?" He nervously asked Adia, unable to resist a glance back at Bebe, who had her arms crossed, but still had a smirk.

"Okay, Daddy.." Adia laughed. "My bad."

"She _did_ tell us to get a room when we first met..." Wendy commented with a slight grin to Carandial, who chuckled, remembering that incident.

"Told you so.." Adia said almost under her breath, but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at that comment.

"I _knew_ I raised that girl, right!" Drew said with a smirk.

"And that's _exactly_ what we should be afraid of.." Nzuri said teasingly with a smirk of her own.

However, there was _one_ individual in the room who _wasn't_ laughing.. One who, on the inside, found his _soul_ shatter into a million pieces..

What a _way_ this was to find out _this_ news!

Stan couldn't help but have a tear come to his eye, before he wiped it away and stormed towards the door in a huff, not saying another word.

"Stan?" Kenny asked with slight concern. "Stan, you alright, dude?"

But Stan had already gone outside.. It seemed he needed some air. Kenny sighed, saying in a mutter,

"Well, _fuck_.."

Drew simply looked as he stormed out the door. He knew _exactly_ what this was about.. Drew _knew_ how much Stan cared for Wendy. He could tell that just based on their conversations while they were building the _house_..

' _Best not pressure him about it..'_ Drew thought. ' _I'll see better results if I just wait for the storm to pass.. I'll talk with him later..'_

Wendy took a deep breath. She should have expected something like this to occur. But still, she shouldn't let him get to her.

Kyle shrugged, and got up to go after him. "I should go talk to him..."

"Do what you have to, man.." Kenny sighed. "But don't press him too hard. We don't want another 'barbecue' incident.."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "Still, I'm his Super Best Friend. I should at least _try_ to talk to him."

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Stan sat against the palace, looking at the now setting sun in the horizon. It was a warmer day, so he could just sit out here on the grass in leisure. Or well.. whatever leisure he could _find_..

Tears freely fell down his face. He couldn't stop thinking about _life_.. Just.. all the bad _decisions_ he had made, recently.

What if he did this? What if he did that? Those were thoughts that were freely flowing throughout his mind..

' _Wendy is now with another..'_ Stan sadly, yet angrily thought. ' _With.. With a lizard, to make it even MORE of an insult!..'_

Stan was obviously _devastated_.. About it _all_. He had never been this hurt in his _life_! He felt all the hope in his body drain in an _instant_!

Maybe his family was right..

"Stan...are you okay, man?"

Stan didn't even have to turn around to see who it was.. He knew _exactly_ who it was. Stan used his hat to cover his eyes slightly, to hide the tears from Kyle the best he could.

"No.." Stan replied. "No, Kyle, I'm _not_ okay! I'm the complete _opposite_ of okay! I feel fucking _awful_ , dude! I feel like _death_.."

"Stan, I know how hard this must be, but you _can't_ just give up because of it-"

"Spare me the ' _inspirational speech_ ' this _one_ time, would you?.." Stan asked, clearly annoyed. He then sighed, and said much softly. "Please.."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, but before Kyle could say more, Stan added,

"What would _you_ do, Kyle?" Kyle cocked a brow and widened his eyes a bit. Where was he going with thi- "what would _you_ do if _Jack_ left you for another man!? Wouldn't you feel just _awful_? Wouldn't you wanna _throw up_? I _know_ you would.. And that's me.. That's how _I_ feel.. That's _reality_ , Kyle.."

Kyle cringed at the thought. Immediately, his heart told him Jack would _never_ leave him for another, but just the thought of such a thing happening…

Kyle looked down. "It would hurt. I know it would. But I would _still_ try to find some way to make it better. Even if it meant finding someone _new_ -"

"You sound _just_ like my family!" Stan said, beginning to grow agitated. That's when Kyle remembered what Kenny said,

' _Don't press him too hard..'_

"' _Find_ someone new', you guys say.." Stan continued on. "It's not as _easy_ as it sounds, you know.. Not when you've _loved_ someone for _years_! Since we were _kids_.. So yeah, naturally I'm going to be a little annoyed by that statement! It frustrates me! Because it's such a _simple_ solution, to what is in _reality_ , a _very_ complex situation! It _doesn't_ mix.."

Kyle sighed. "Stan, I'm just trying to help you. I _know_ this is hard, but dude, you're my Super Best Friend! You stood by me when I was _raped_! I can never repay your kindness, and I'm trying to help because you _are_ my Super Best Friend. I _don't_ know how hard this is for you, but I do know it's hurting you. I just..."

He looked down. "Wendy didn't _want_ to breakup with you, but she did want to spend more time with you dude. I mean, how many times did you blow her off because you were worried about me?"

Stan sighed, gritting his teeth as tears flowed in full view now.

"A- A _lot_.." Stan answered him simply. "Goddammit, I feel _horrible_! I feel like a fucking _douchebag_! I _should've_ made more time for her! I just _should_ hav-"

"Stan," Kyle said seriously. "Yes, you _should_ have done a lot. That's true for _any_ couple. But the point is dude, is that you shouldn't let this destroy you like this. I know the pain will always be there man. But you should be open to the future. Hell, whether you find someone or not, or even get back together with Wendy, you at least _learned_ something from this."

Stan was silent for several seconds. However, the tears began to dry up a little bit, and Stan give a small nod, which showed he was at least _somewhat_ in agreement..

"I.. I know." Stan said. "I guess I _did_ learn to never do something stupid like _that_ ever again.." He then sighed. "I.. I at least just wanna make things _right_ with her, you know? If- If she wants to be with Carandial.. I can't exactly stop her.. But, I just wanna let her know there was no hard _feelings_ , you know what I'm saying!? That I made a _mistake_.."

Kyle nodded. "Stan, if that's want you want to do, then just talk to her. I'll be right there with you, dude."

"No.." Stan firmly said, shaking his head and standing to his feet. "No, this is something I have to do on my _own_.. No more excuses.. No more _waiting_.. I should have had this talk with her a _long_ time ago.."

Kyle hesitated, before nodding. "Alright...But remember, you can always talk to me. That's what SBFs are for, man."

Stan waited for a second, before smiling.

"Totally.." Stan responded.

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"I should have known this would happen." Wendy mumbled.

"It's not your fault Wendy." Carandial sighed.

Wendy leaned on his shoulder, feeling absolutely awful. She should have expected this to be honest. Hell, Stan had always been a bit…

She was shaken from her thoughts when Bebe told her,

"Don't _worry_ so much about him, girl.." There was a brief pause before she continued. "He's a nice guy, but he can _still_ be a bit.." She trailed off, not wishing to finish that sentence. "The point is that you shouldn't _beat_ yourself up so much about this.. It's not your fault.. It's _normal_ for him to feel this way.. He'll get over it eventually.."

At that moment, Stan and Kyle returned, and at that same time, Drew, Jack, and Kenny were busy conversing just on the other side of the room. They looked and acknowledged that the two had returned, appearing to be wrapping up their conversation so they could find out what was going on.

Alex, Cate, and Nzuri were in another room with the kids, watching over them as they played. Kenzi, of course, wasn't among them. She was still a bit too young, and couldn't walk quite yet. She was with Bebe's mom, once again. It was a _quite_ common place for her to be, actually.. But Bebe's mom didn't mind! She _loved_ her granddaughter..

Stan separated from Kyle a bit, and began to enter the main room, where he knew Wendy would be..

' _Here goes nothing..'_ Stan thought, taking a deep breath.

"Wendy, I-" Stan began, but he froze when he saw Wendy leaning against Carandial's shoulder.

Something inside of him in that moment, just..

Just _snapped_!

All the talking he and Kyle had done outside? All of Stan's logic and reasoning? They were all _blinded_ right now by _rage_!

She certainly didn't _look_ too affected by what had happened!

That was it for Stan..

He was gonna let them have it.

"WHAT THE _FUCK_!" Stan yelled, upon seeing the sight of the couple.

Both Wendy and Carandial jumped in shock, before they turned to Stan. As did _everyone_..

"Stan-" Wendy began, but was cut off almost immediately.

"NO!" Stan yelled once again, now up in her face. "You listen to _me_ , Wendy! Just how fucking _heartless_ are you!? You don't _seem_ to give a _fuck_ in the world about _me_ , do you!? No.. whatever gets you _off_! Fuck _my_ feelings, right!?"

Wendy narrowed her eyes, before she stood up. "Oh, like you're any better, Stan! You never gave a fuck about me either! How many times did you blow me off again?! How many times did you ignore me?! You didn't talk to me _once_ for months that one time, remember?! So fuck off you hypocrite!"

"Oh, _fuck off_!? You want me to 'fuck off', huh!? Is that it?.." Stan yelled once more, his face beginning to turn red. "Well maybe I should! I don't even know why I _stayed_ with you for as long as I did! I _see_ now how _self absorbed_ you truly are! Kyle was _RAPED_ , Wendy! He _fucking_ needed me! He needed _all_ of us!" Stan paused for a bit before he finished rather strongly, "I can't believe it took me _this_ long to realize what a fucking _bitch_ you are!"

"You wouldn't let anyone _near_ him! Hell, I remember how much you ranted to me on our one date in months how pissed off you were about Jack! We _all_ were scared for Kyle, but if we tried to help, you'd always tell us to just let you and Kenny deal with it!"

She then shook her head. "Don't use what happened to him, and what almost happened to _me -_ as an excuse for your shitty behavior! You were ignoring me _long_ before that happened!"

"Okay.." Kenny said, interrupting their arguing. He put a hand on Stan's shoulder. "Dude.. Just _let_ it go.. You both just need to _calm_ down, and-"

"It's not a _fucking_ excuse!" Stan countered to Wendy, ignoring Kenny's plea. "He's my _best_ friend! I would do _anything_ for him! I would've done anything for _you_! I _still_ would.." He then shot his gaze over at Carandial. "But now that _he's_ in the picture, you're doing _all_ you can to use my past mistakes against me, and _shove_ it in my face to make me feel like more of a piece of shit than I already think I _am_! _Fuck_ you, Wendy!" He said, flipping her the bird. "And _fuck_ you, too!" He yelled at Carandial, doing the same thing.

"Maybe if you actually talked to me for _once_ , I would have given you a chance! But no, you were to much of a chicken shit to talk to me. So excuse me for finding someone else who actually _cares_!"

"That's _enough_ , you guys!" Drew said now, walking over with Jack. Drew and Kenny had their hand on Stan to make sure he didn't do anything crazy.. "Let's just _let_ it go and try to enjoy the rest of the night, huh?.."

Wendy looked down, still too pissed to respond.

"Calm down Wendy," Carandial said gently. "They're right, let's just let it go."

Wendy took a deep breath, but nodded reluctantly.

Stan looked as if he was about to agree himself.. But that's when the _wrong_ thing was said that ruined any chance of that..

"I agree.." Bebe said. "There's no need for that bullshit.. It's _New Year's_! There was no need to _insult_ Wendy like that.."

Stan shot forward, out of Drew and Kenny's grip.

"Don't even get me started on _you_ , Bebe!" Stan yelled at her.

"Stan.." Drew warned, ready to defend her.

"This is between _me_ and _Wendy_.. Stay out of it.." He ended with a warning, seriously.

Drew attained an expression of slight anger. He didn't _like_ the way he was talking to her..

"Stan, calm down!" Kyle said, getting between Wendy and Stan. He also kept an eye on Drew, not wanting _another_ person to get involved in this argument.. "Just _stop_ this!" He said to Stan. He had had _enough_ of this arguing.

"Stay _out_ of it, Kyle.." Stan warned.

"Or what, Stan?" Kyle asked. "What happened to all we talked about outside?! I really _thought_ this shit could be solved but you just _can't_ let it go can you? Why did I even try to talk to you, because I should have known you'd do this! Just like you kept trying to get me to break up with Jack after we started dating!"

"Yeah, well, shit _changes_ when you see this _bullshit_ happen right before your very eyes!" He yelled, eyeing Wendy and Carandial again. "The shit with Jack? I did that for _good_ reason.. In the same situation, I'd _do_ it again!"

"She wanted to make _amends_." Carandial finally spoke. "Bebe and I were trying to make her feel better about this, we weren't trying to anger you, Stan."

"Just-!" Stan began to yell at him, before he sighed. "Just leave me the fuck _alone_ , dude.." He looked around the room. " _All_ of you.. I need-" He shook his head and began to head towards the door. "-I need to just fucking leave.."

No-one stopped him as he did so this time.

"I think he understands how berserk he went just now.." Drew said to where everyone could hear, breaking the silence.

Jack was silent. "Happy fucking New Year..." He muttered sarcastically.

"I'll get the beer.." Kenny said, simply walking away with a sigh.

What started out as a respectable and fun party, turned into.. something _sour_ and glum. The evening had _definitely_ been spoiled.

But that's not to say they couldn't still _try_ and make up for it..

Jack took a deep breath. "Anyone want to try and watch a movie?" He asked, hoping to salvage the evening.

"Whatever.." Bebe sighed, feeling really bummed out now. She put a hand on Wendy's own one last time as a sign of reassurance, before she stood up and walked towards the room where the kids were. "Just pick something.. I'll be back."

Wendy sighed under her breath, and sat on the couch. She honestly hated the fact that this happened. And that she helped cause it…

This was a fucking mess. She leaned on Carandial's shoulder again, trying to take her mind off things.

Jack looked at Drew. "Should we just call the party off for tonight?"

Drew sighed before he looked up at a clock that was on the wall.

 _5:57 P.M._

"I.. think that would be best.." Drew replied. "I know it's New Year's Eve, but.. still. That shit with Stan bummed _everyone_ out.. Me included, admittedly. Bebe probably feels like she did something _wrong_ now, which she _didn't_.. Wendy probably feels guilty and angry. No telling how drunk _Kenny_ will get tonight.. It's just a fucking disaster, Jack.."

' _I'll need to have a talk with Stan..'_ Drew thought. ' _When he's had time to calm down and take in what all happened here tonight..'_

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It was late at night, probably around midnight, and everyone in Drew's house was asleep.. minus a certain couple..

Drew and his family had headed home not too long after Stan's outbursts.. The whole incident just bummed everyone out, and they decided to cancel the New Year's party and just call it a day..

 _2019_..

It was now 2019. A whole different year.

And yet it didn't feel all that special..

Drew hoped that Stan was okay after all that, but he didn't agree with the way he acted at _all_.. He thought Stan could have kept his temper more in check, but then again, emotions are a _powerful_ thing.. Drew didn't know Stan's exact feelings when he saw what set him off.

All Drew knew was that he was _glad_ that was all over.. He would try and talk with Stan whenever he was finally calm enough to think and talk logically..

But for now, Drew was only worried about _one_ other person.. And that was his _girlfriend_.

She had been through _so_ much, herself, after all! She had to watch as her town was scattered with bullets and bloodshed, she had to give birth after an unexpected pregnancy at only _seventeen_ years old, and now she had to worry about all this drama between Stan and Wendy!

Not so much their drama, as it is just Wendy in _general_.. Bebe cared a _lot_ for her friend, and she only wanted to see her happy and safe.. She trusted Carandial, yes, but she _still_ couldn't get over just how _obscure_ it was..

But it didn't matter.. As long as Wendy was happy, then Bebe figured she didn't really need to get involved.. It would be _fine_..

Bebe laid down in her and Drew's bed, as Drew was in the bathroom very close by, apparently getting ready for bed, himself.. It had been a long day.

"You going out tonight?.." Bebe asked Drew with a yawn.

Drew knew what she was referring to. She was referring to his role as Batman. Often times he would go out _late_ into the night and do his thing..

Drew exited the bathroom and sat down on the bed beside her, sighing slightly,

"No.." Drew answered just above a whisper.

Bebe cocked a brow.

"Oh?.. Well that's a surprise.." She responded. "Why not?"

Drew looked over at her and smirked,

"I can't spend New Year's night with the one I love?.." He asked her in a joking way.

Bebe rolled her eyes with a grin of her own and gripped Drew's hand softly.

"Well I suppose you _can_.." She relented. "You sure they won't need you, though?"

Drew shook his head.

"South Park should be clean enough now to where if there _is_ a crime, the police should easily be able to be _right_ on top of it.. It'll be _fine_ , babe.. I promise."

Bebe finally nodded in understanding.

"Okay.." She softly replied. She began to lean forward, which prompted for Drew to do the same. The two gave each other a passionate kiss, which signified their undying love for one another in the new year.

"I love you.." Drew told her.

"I love you too.." Bebe replied.

The two made eye contact, and just as it looked like the two might do more than simply kiss, Drew looked away.

He began to.. _see_ something.

' _What the-'_ Drew thought in a slight panic.

Flashing images and sounds of _bats_ began to flood his vision and hearing! They felt so _real_ , yet how _could_ they be?

What _was_ this!? What was _happening_ to him!?

Drew had already shot out of bed, and was now on the floor. He shut his eyes in an attempt to blind himself of the images of bats which appeared to be swarming him.

But no matter _what_ he did, he just couldn't seem to rid himself of it!

But just as all seemed lost.. The bats finally stopped swarming.. They had _disappeared_.

Looking back up to figure out just what the _hell_ had happened, Drew gasped when he saw that he was _not_ in his room anymore!

He appeared to be in some sort of.. _snowy_ area! It was an area with clear blue skies, chilling air that would give the common man frostbite, and giant mountains that looked like they could stretch for _miles_..

Drew backed up, breathing really heavily at the sight.. His breath could easily be seen, it was so _cold_! It was _way_ colder than South Park could ever hope to be..

But where was-

"Detective.." Drew heard someone say. Someone _familiar_.

He jumped slightly and shot his gaze towards the source of the voice. That's when he saw the figure of.. him.

It was Ra's Al Ghul!

But.. what did he _want_? Why was he _here_?

Drew narrowed his eyes.

"What do you _want_ , Ra's?" He questioned suspiciously.

Ra's Al Ghul said nothing at first, before he spoke,

"It is almost _time_ , Detective.. I know you will make the right choice.." There was a pause, but before Drew could respond, Ra's added, "But for now, I would _highly_ suggest you watch what you _drink_.. I have a feeling it might _kill_ you, next time.."

Drew cocked a brow, wondering just what the _hell_ that meant! I mean.. he _did_ have a glass of water before bed, but..

He widened his eyes.

' _Wait..'_ Drew thought. ' _I drank that glass of water.. Then not many minutes later, I'm seeing visions of bats and Ra's!'_

Drew then gasped slightly. He _knew_ what this could be..

" _No_.." Drew muttered. "That same supposed toxin that infected me and Jack that day! It's in me _again_.. But why would it be-" Drew then caught on to what _really_ happened here.

"That toxin is in South Park's _water_ supply!" Drew exclaimed.

Ra's could only shrug.

"You're the detective.."

With that, he disappeared into thin air, as did the mountains and that entire environment..

Darkness was the next thing Drew saw.. He heard faint noises of what sounded like shouting and he could feel his body being shaken.

His eyes were starting to open now, and his senses were coming back. Now he knew what was going on.. Bebe had been trying to shake him awake, and Drew now saw that his entire _family_ was in the room, now!

"Oh, thank _God_!" Bebe exclaimed in relief. "Are you _okay_ , babe!? What _happened_?"

"Yeah, Daddy.. What _happened_!?" Adia asked him. "You were breathing so _heavy_ and you were mumbling all these words! It was scary.."

Drew sat up and held his head slightly, having a bit of a headache after all that.

"I.. I'm _fine_ , guys.. Don't _worry_." Drew answered. "I'm just a little-"

Drew then widened his eyes and shot to his feet. He stumbled, nearly falling back to the ground, but he quickly regained his balance.

"Drew! What are you-" Bebe began.

"You didn't drink the water, did you!?" Drew demanded in worry. "Please tell me you didn't drink it!"

Bebe, Adia, and Nzuri looked at each other in confusion and concern, before they looked back at Drew.

"I was _about_ to get me a drink here in just a little bit." Nzuri said. "Why? Is something _wrong_ with it?"

Drew took a few deep breaths as his family looked at him with even more concern than ever before.

"I- I think it's been _poisoned_.." Drew explained.

Everyone gasped.

"P- Poisoned!?" Adia asked, her voice cracking in fear.

"You didn't drink any, _did_ you, Adia?.." Drew asked her firmly.

"N- No.." Adia answered, looking off to the side. It was clear that she was hiding something.

"Adia?.." Drew questioned with his voice more risen. It was clear he wanted to know the truth.

However, before Adia could answer him, her eyes widened and she gave a large gasp. Her entire body began to tremble, and that's when something unexpected happened,

"AHHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in what appeared to be _complete_ fear..

Drew, Bebe, and Nzuri gasped in shock and concern, all of them rushing towards her. Drew held her in his arms as gently as possible, trying to calm her down..

"Adia! Adia, it's _okay_.. It's your _Daddy_.. He's _here_. Please snap out of it!" He tried to convince her as tears fell down his face.

"M- MONSTERS!" Adia screamed in horror, as if seeing frightening, nightmarish visions. "B- BOMBS! EXPLOSIONS! NO! STOP THE KILLING! STOP!"

Drew continued to hold her tightly, making sure she was as comfortable as possible, while also making sure she didn't do anything crazy in her trance..

"Backyard! Inside the shed! Look behind the tool rack! There should be a hook that looks different from the rest on the bottom right corner. _Pull_ it! Inside is a Replicator. _Grab_ it! Hurry!" Drew ordered Bebe.

Bebe didn't waste any time or even question anything, as she ran full speed into the backyard to do as he said.

"Adia.. Adia, stay with us, okay?" Nzuri softly spoke now. "Your Daddy is with you.. Your Mommy is with you.. Your _human_ Mommy is with you too.. We're _here_.."

"N- N- NO!" Adia screamed, appearing to not even be able to hear her. Adia was crying. "Don't _abandon_ me! Don't _go_ , Daddy! Mommy, come _back_!"

Drew was just about to _lose_ it.. Even Nzuri was looking a bit affected by this!

All of what she was saying were some _big_ nightmares and fears for her..

"Here!" Bebe said, rushing back inside with the Replicator in hand, giving it to Drew. Drew softly handed Adia to Bebe now, as he typed in some sort of data into the Replicator.

"It's a neurotoxin.. So it's gonna require this component to.." Drew muttered to himself, trying to figure out exactly what might cure this.

Finally, he pressed the final button, and he spawned some sort of blue liquid inside a glass tube.

"Okay.. It'll have to be ingested." Drew explained. "We'll need to have Adia swallow this, and she should be cured!"

Everyone seemed to understand and got into their positions. Bebe held her in place, keeping her comfortable, while Nzuri pulled on the scruff of Adia's neck, prompting a scream out of her. While her mouth was open, Drew poured the liquid inside.

Adia began to cough as she continued to be held by Bebe. Everyone made sure that she didn't choke and got the liquid down okay, before she finally fell into a state of unconsciousness.

Bebe and Nzuri gasped.

"Adia!" Nzuri exclaimed. "Is she-"

"She's fine.." Drew reassured her. "The cure merely sends her into a state of slumber. She should be awake within the hour.. It takes that long for the effects to fully kick in, as I know of."

"Thank _God_ , she's okay.." Bebe sighed in relief, wiping some tears away.

Drew didn't respond. He instead began to put a _certain_ Batsuit on..

Bebe and Nzuri both gasped, but for different reasons.

"You-" Nzuri began with widened eyes. "You're the ' _Batman'_ everyone keeps talking about!?" Nzuri asked in complete shock and bewilderment.

"I am.." Drew replied. "Normally I'd be more cautious about who I change in front of, but right now that doesn't _matter_. I know you can keep a secret, Nzuri.. I'm not concerned if you know."

Nzuri nodded in graciousness, but _still_ had her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Look, the entire _town's_ water supply could possibly be infected with that fear toxin! I don't know _who's_ responsible for this, but _one_ thing is certain: they will _not_ get away with this! I'm going to _stop_ whoever this is, before they infect _more_ innocent people in different _places_!" Drew finished as he put the cowl over his face, now fully in his Batsuit.

Bebe sighed as she softly picked up Adia, getting ready to put her in her bed.

"Just.. _please_ be careful, Drew.." Bebe spoke with concern, looking him in the eye.

Batman smirked and replied,

"Aren't I always?.."

Bebe gave a smirk of her own, before the two gave each other a quick kiss. With that, Batman headed out into the backyard, so as to avoid any sort of detection from anyone who might be driving on the main road.

He used his Grapnel to shoot onto a nearby building, heading towards the _source_ of where the problem likely started: The South Park Water Tower.

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Jack walked beside Alex. "I have big plans for this year." Jack commented. "I really want this to be the year things actually _start_ to change."

"Now that I'm not having to do my Avenging duties, I think that will be possible," Alex replied.

Jack chuckled. "You really did miss a lot, man."

"Yeah, well, no more. I'm an Emperor, not a superhero. The people need these changes and they must happen as soon as practically possible," Alex said firmly.

Jack was about to reply, before he heard something.

There was the sound of _laser_ fire coming from outside as well as something else, screaming. The two looked to the window, and there was a flash of light that briefly illuminated the overcast day.

"What the bloody hell now?" Alex cried in frustration. It seemed to him that equilibrium would not last for more than five minutes these days.

The two rushed outside, and when they got there, they were shocked to see a Star Destroyer _explode_ in a ball of fire, some of it's wreckage crashing to the ground a few miles from town!

"Christ..." Jack breathed. He then looked up, and saw black ships in the shape of cubes looming towards the town. There was only one other Star Destroyer defending the town, and it was outnumbered!

Already in flames, the great ship finally succumbed to the combined fire of the enemy fleet as the enemy ships descended on the town!

Alex gasped as he looked to Jack.

"What do we do? Who do we deploy?" he asked quickly.

Jack was about to reply, before the _entire_ Imperial Fleet suddenly arrived. The two looked up in awe for a moment as everything seemed to stop. For a tense few seconds, the fleets eyed each other, before the lead Star Destroyer unleashed a volley of lasers on the nearest cube, which was quickly followed up by a barrage by the entire fleet!

"Oh, well, there you go then," Alex said under his breath with a slight sigh of relief.

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Caesarius stood on the bridge of one of the new Star Destroyers, the _Executrix_ , looking over the battle. These new vessels had just been developed, and already they outclassed _any_ vessel from Cyrannus, including these Neraida.

The Libertus Admiral always did hate these robotic assimilators. However, the question on his mind couldn't be ignored. How _did_ they get here?

Still, he had to focus on the battle. Luckily, he had brought backup at least. "Avengers, this is Admiral Caesarius. Report, are you ready to engage?"

"Admiral Caesarius, this is Steve Rogers in the Quinjet, we are ready," Steve declared.

"You are free to engage the enemy." Caesarius replied, before turning back to the battle.

Steve flew the Quinjet from the hangar inside the _Executrix_ and almost immediately had to use the gun mounted on the front of it. Such was his ability, he dodged enemy fire effortlessly and swerved around and beneath the balls of fire that were once the cuboid ships.

"Tony, Carol, you're up," Natasha declared as the Quinjet descended to a particular altitude. The rear ramp opened and Iron Man and Captain Marvel both flew out, acting as more accurate, precise and nimble yet no less effective 'Quinjets'.

They were soon joined by two squadrons of Imperial fighters, who aided them in their attacks on the cubes. One of their attacks managed to disable an enemy cube.

On the bridge of the _Executrix_ , Caesarius realized something. "That cube is disabled! Call up a corvette!"

A small Imperial Corvette followed it's orders and rammed into the cube, sending it careening into two other nearby cubes, destroying all three in a fiery explosion!

"I call an assist!" Tony claimed as he observed the spectacle from a safe distance.

"Well done, Metalhead." Carandial joked from his own flagship.

By this point, the battle had turned in the favor of the Empire, whose fleet had pushed the Neraida away from the town.

By this point, the Imperial Fleet had formed up, with the Quinjet, Tony Stark, and Carol Danvers assuming a position alongside the left flank of the _Executrix_. By this point, the last cubes were retreating.

"Their defenses are thinning out, do not relent! Show no mercy!" Caesarius ordered. The Imperial Fleet began a _massive_ bombardment of their opponents, while the Avengers picked off individual ships that tried to change direction and retaliate.

Within a matter of minutes, it was all moot. The last cube was trying to counterattack, and managed to down a Star Destroyer, but as the _Executrix_ approached it, Caesarius ordered a full turbolaser barrage which gutted the cube. As it exploded, the guns finally fell silent.

"Excellent work." Caesarius said with a slight grin. He had missed commanding fleets in combat. "Well done, Avengers." He added.

"Thank you, it was a pleasure," Steve replied.

Caesarius smiled, before looking to the rest of the fleet. "We stand as one. We are the Emperor's blazing sword and the Empire's crushing fist, many millions of hands ready to stand and fight on land, sea, air and space! We are...the Terran Empire!"

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The journey to the South Park Water Tower was not a long one, even though it was close to the other side of town.

Batman's thoughts as he went from rooftop to rooftop we're beginning to go _wild_.

' _How many people have been affected by this!? If Adia reacted that horribly.. If I supposedly reacted so horribly.. Then what about…'_

His thoughts trailed off shuddering at the thought. Batman heard multiple emergency sirens in the distance, which meant that someone was likely in some danger close by.. He couldn't tell if it was police, EMTs, or firemen, but regardless, he didn't have time to question it right now.

He had to _shut off_ the water supply to South Park before anyone _else_ decided to ingest more water!

He was close to the Water Tower now, as it was right in the distance. That's when another thought and realization came to mind,

' _Poor Adia..'_ He thought. ' _All those THINGS she mentioned.. Those must have been her biggest fears.. The big ones appeared to be war, murder, and us abandoning her..'_

Batman shook his head at the thoughts. He knew none of them would _ever_ abandon her! They wouldn't make sure she was _safe_ , no matter what they had to do! And that was a _promise_..

As for the war and murder, Batman felt the same way.. He _despised_ war with all of his being. All it did was kill people. Yes, many deserved it. But what about the casualties of those who _didn't_?..

And when you're _raised_ in the shit like Adia was, it appeared to take a _massive_ toll on her mind..

Batman grappled up to the top of the Water Tower now, sighing in slight dismay. However, he pushed all of that to the side for now..

He had work to do..

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Caesarius was not one to give in to worry. But right now, he was at least perturbed by what was going on. He had coordinated the various emergency response units that were trying desperately to quell the ongoing problem. Something was in the water, and it was causing the people of the town to hallucinate and see their greatest fears.

He had come to the conclusion that the first step needed to be turning off the water long enough to apply a purifying agent to the water supply while the emergency responders helped in giving antidotes.

However, by the time he got there, he began to feel a strange feeling.. As if someone were close..

When he entered the room where all the valves were kept, he saw a tall, powerful figure apready inside, messing with the pumps.

It seemed he had the _same_ idea he did..

The figure then froze, as if sensing his presence. He didn't look in Caesarius's direction right away, but he reached into his utility belt, pulling out a Batarang.

Batman turned around, aiming it at him. However, once Batman saw who it was, his defense softened a bit.

Caesarius cocked a brow. His hand had been about to draw his pistol, but he decided against it. He knew who this was.

"I must say, I should have expected you to be here, Batman." He said calmly.

Batman put the Batarang away, simply walking back towards the valves to the pumps, saying in response,

"I imagine we both had the same idea.. You've seen the effects of this water contaminant as well?"

"I have," Caesarius replied. "I was here to shut off the water so we could remove the agent from the water supply. That is the first step in combating this epidemic."

Batman tightly turned one more valve, which completely shut down the water to the town.

"The town is cut off of water.. No one else should be affected in the area.." Batman explained. He then hesitated for a bit, before he pulled out the Replicator in full view.

For a split second, Caesarius actually showed shock. However, he quickly composed himself, and simply nodded for Batman to do what needed to do.

Batman entered in the same data he had when he cured Adia, but instead wanted an even _bigger_ container than what he had given her. He pressed the button, and he now had what appeared to be close to a _gallon_ of the blue liquid! Maybe a bit more. It was quite a bit.

"This is a cure for the fear toxin.." Batman explained. "Inside it contains antibodies that eat away at the toxic cells that get administered into one's body.. Whether it's through their blood, or ingested.. The reason there is so much, is because to get it to spread out evenly amongst the water supply, a larger amount of this antidote is _required_.."

He paused for a bit, before he finished,

"Once distributed, those who are infected that drink the water will be immediately cured of all effects.. They'll just be tired for an hour at least.. Those who are _not_ infected who drink it regularly, will feel no effects, as the antibodies will have _nothing_ to fight against.. I only use the Replicator as a 'quick fix' until I discover how to create such antidotes manually.."

Caesarius nodded in understanding. "Very good philosophy. It is a wise idea to not just rely on the Replicator."

Batman put the Replicator away and began to walk towards where the water supply began in the Tower.

"If not for such dire emergencies so early on, I would likely have no _need_ for this thing.." Batman explained, referring to the Replicator.

Caesarius nodded, before he stopped. "We're not alone, are we?"

Batman said nothing, only narrowing his eyes. Out of nowhere, he heard something crash inside, landing on the floor beside them.

"OUTSIDE!" Batman yelled, beginning to run away from the container.

Caesarius rushed after Batman, using his speed as a Libertus, which was a descendant of raptors, to leap outside just before they heard hissing come from the container.

Batman slammed the door shut and sealed it tightly. Anyone who was inside that room at the time would likely be seeing the _Boogeyman_ right about now..

"It was a _trap_!" Batman exclaimed angrily. "Whoever was behind this! They must have _known_ we were coming.."

Caesarius grimaced, before standing up, and pulling out his pistol. He wasn't one to just flee. "Show yourself!" He snarled.

"With _pleasure_.." Someone spoke from above Batman and Caesarius. It was a masculine voice, but it was a bit more higher pitched.. Not by _much_ , but you could tell.

Before either man could react right away, the figure jumped down and tried _impaling_ Batman with what looked like a _syringe_!

Batman dodged out of the way, and when _that_ failed, he went for _Caesarius_. He swiped his hand with the syringe connected to his wrist and only just missed hitting the Libertus admiral. Caesarius leapt back a few feet, and fired his pistol at the creepy looking man, just narrowly missing him.

Instead, he shot a hole into part of the water tower, causing some water to leak down onto the ground.

Batman threw a punch at the man, but once again, he was too _quick_! The man retreated backwards, laughing wickedly.

"You! _You're_ responsible for these nightmares! For these _fears_ spreading around South Park!" Batman yelled.

"In the _flesh_.." The man admitted, still having that wicked tone of voice.

"Who are you!?" Batman demanded, stepping closer.

"Ah, ah, _ah_.. Batman.." The man warned. "Take _one_ step closer and I'll have my _comrades_ destroy the entire east side of town.."

Batman merely did nothing. He wasn't _scared_ by that. Typical villain cliché..

"You're _bluffing_.." Batman said. "What ' _comrades_ '?"

But still.. the _east_ side!? That's where his _family_ lived at..

The man once again laughed. He wasn't _like_ The Joker.. He didn't laugh all the time. But it was just what he seemed to have planned in his _head_ that made him so excited.

The man was dressed in an obvious looking scarecrow outfit.. It would do a good job to scare the average man, for sure..

Caesarius narrowed his eyes, but didn't blindly rush in either. He gripped his pistol tightly, ready to use it in case the man attacked again.

"It's no _bluff_ , Batman.." The man seriously uttered. "And same goes for _you_ , lizard! Or should I say, 'Admiral'?.." He chuckled.

"As for who _I_ am," He added. "call me.. _Scarecrow_!"

As soon as he said that, he instead _tossed_ one of his syringes Batman's way. Batman widened his eyes and ducked down _just_ in time to see the syringe stick a bit into the wall behind him.

Caesarius turned for a split second, realizing the syringe had hit the water tower.

When the two turned to face Scarecrow again, they realized he was once _again_ charging in to attack. He was _aggressive_ , that's for sure..

As he tried impaling Caesarius with the syringe, Batman jumped in front of him and took the shot instead. He gritted his teeth in pain, but used his adrenaline to wrestle Scarecrow to the ground.

Batman began punching him in the face, as Scarecrow tried to inject Batman with even _more_ toxin!

"Let's see how you survive _this_!" Scarecrow exclaimed, pulling out a syringe that was big enough to hold enough toxin to _kill_ several men..

It was then that a gunshot rang out, and Scarecrow felt a bullet hit his side.

"AGHHH!" Scarecrow screamed in agony. The bullet caused the syringe he was holding fall and shatter on the ground nearby. It was where a water puddle now was from where the Water Tower had been shot.

Batman took Scarecrow to the ground _once_ again, punching him in the face and fighting for dominance. Overpowering Scarecrow _wasn't_ hard, as he was a scrawny man. But after being _injected_ with that toxin again, and trying to fight its effects at the same time!?

Not so easy..

Scarecrow turned to where he was on his stomach now, trying to cover up and protect himself from the punches. Batman yanked off his scarecrow mask and slammed his head down into the ground.

This caused Scarecrow to inhale deeply and gasp. He began to cough, as if he choked a bit on..

 _Water_..

Scarecrow widened his eyes. He _knew_ what that meant.

"Scarecrow!" He heard Batman yell, most likely in his visions. However, his voice sounded even _more_ intimidating and demonic than _usual_!

Scarecrow looked up, and gasped in _fear_ at what he saw.

It was Batman, but he appeared to be a terrifying _demon_ creature!

"Jonathan Crane!" He heard someone yell off on the side. He gasped once more, _knowing_ who that voice was.

It was his college _professor_! And beside him were his many _colleagues_.. They all stood there and _laughed_ at him at the top of their lungs.. Just as they have _before_..

"N- No! NO!" Scarecrow yelled, screaming in fear. "No! I'm _worth_ something! Don't make _fun_ of me.. I'm not _worthless_!"

Batman now hissed in his vision once again, causing Scarecrow to give one last scream, before he was knocked unconscious..

In the real world, Batman now pulled him away from the water, before he collapsed to the ground himself. He wasn't out, but he was _close_.. The visions were starting to come back.

"A- Antidode!" Batman exclaimed. "In the water tower! Pour it into the water supply!"

Batman reached quickly into his utility belt and tossed a small gas mask towards Caesarius, and with that, he said nothing else to him..

Instead, Batman pulled out his Replicator and began to type in the data for an antidote for himself. Within seconds, one appeared in the form of a syringe, which he used to quickly inject himself with. Seeing the returning horrible images start to disappear once again, Batman knew that the antidote was successful..

Batman took a couple deep breaths and laid back down in slight exhaustion, beads of sweat running down the side of his head.

After a few seconds, Caesarius returned from the water tower. "The water should be fine in an hour." He declared.

The Libertus admiral sat down beside him, before taking a deep breath. "You did well, Batman. I don't think we would have handled him without you."

Batman struggled to his feet, using a nearby railing for balance. He put a hand over his left arm which was injected by the syringe earlier, looking down grimly.

"Just not well _enough_.." Batman monotonely stated.

Caesarius sighed. "We should consider ourselves lucky. It could _also_ have been much worse."

Batman walked towards the ledge, hopping onto it, not saying a word. Once he was up there, he turned to Caesarius one last time, and simply, yet cryptically declared,

"And things only _will_ get much worse.. It's only a matter of time.."

With that, Batman used his Grapnel to shoot onto a nearby building, gliding away into the night..

Scarecrow remained unconscious on the ground for the police to deal with.. All Caesarius would have to do is either call them or bring him into custody himself.

Taking a deep breath, the Libertus admiral radioed the police, and waited. Within the hour, the water was free of the Toxin once again..

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"Hey guys." Wendy greeted as she and Carandial met up with Drew and Bebe at one of the local restaurants.

It was a couple days since the poisoning of South Park's water supply, thanks to Scarecrow. He was responsible for around _twenty_ recorded suicides across town, due to the horrifying things they saw and heard after being infected. Around thirty _more_ were reported as infected as well.. However, once they had a drink of the purified water thanks to Batman and Caesarius, they slowly reverted back to a normal state..

Adia recovered almost immediately after her family gave her the cure. She was _really_ tired that night, though, and slept for a lot longer than normal. However, that seemed to be _all_ behind them now, and peace was looking almost inevitable. At least for a _little_ while..

The Joker and Scarecrow were behind bars, the aftermath of the war was now on a steady reconstruction pace, and crime had plummeted to an all time _low_ ever since Scarecrow's arrest. All was going _well_ for South Park, and also the _world_ for right now..

A period of peace was _well_ deserved, and long overdue..

But even still.. Scarecrow's mention of 'comrades'.. That didn't _sit_ right with Drew.. He still had it on his mind, and couldn't seem to forget about it! Something about that thought just made him _very_ uneasy.. Bluff or not.

"Hey, best friend!" Bebe exclaimed happily, giving Wendy a friendly hug.

As they did that, Drew approached Carandial with a friendly grin on his now bruised up face, extending his hand out. His face showed the wear and tear of fighting beings like Joker and Scarecrow as of recently. It wasn't _easy_..

"Admiral.." He greeted.

Carandial smiled and shook Drew's hand. "Looks like things are finally looking up around here..." Carandial mused.

"So, any word from Jack and Kyle?" Wendy asked Bebe and Drew.

"Nothin'.." Drew answered with a shrug. "Kyle texted me about an hour ago that they were getting ready to leave. They should've been here by now.."

As if on cue, Jack and Kyle walked into view. "Hey guys!" Kyle greeted with a smile.

"Sorry, I was training him in lightsaber combat and we lost track of time..." Jack chuckled. "Nice to see you guys."

Carandial nodded back, while Wendy grinned. "Nice to see you guys too."

"It's a shame we couldn't go to that Japanese place we always liked.." Bebe sighed in sadness, recollecting on the tragic news that had spread across town of the owner's demise.

"I know.." Drew added. "It was that _Joker_ asshole! _He_ killed him.." He paused for a bit and attained more of a saddened expression now. "I talked to him once not even a _week_ before his passing.. Nice guy.. And now that restaurant will never see the light of day again.."

Jack looked down. "Don't remind me about what that _bastard_ did..."

Kyle put a hand on Jack's shoulder. Kylie was doing a bit better, but she still had nightmares at least once a week. Jack had spent a _lot_ of time at home with the kids lately, because he wanted to make _absolutely_ certain nothing would happen. It was clear that these events still affected him greatly.

Bebe looked at Drew, and saw that his expression clearly showed that he was getting worked up again.. She didn't _like_ it when he got that way.. _Especially_ since now she knows who he _really_ was and what all he _really_ went through for the greater good..

"Let's just-" Bebe began, but paused, putting an arm around Drew's shoulder to calm him down a bit. It certainly caught his attention, and he softened. "-Let's just go in and eat.. Have a good time."

Wendy nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's all behind us now. Maybe now things can finally get better?"

Jack nodded. "You guys are right. It's no use to dwell on the past. Let's try to enjoy tonight..."

"Well.." Drew began. "Let's eat if we're going to then.. I'm _hungry_ , myself.."

It was true, after all. He had barely eaten a _thing_ in a few days.. He was constantly busy, whether it was stopping criminal activity or simply checking up on Adia, Kenzi, and the rest of his family..

Bebe practically had to _drag_ him to this place..

Kyle had to do the same for Jack.

As the group sat down, Kyle decided to ask Carandial a question.

"So...I hear you were one of those who helped defeat the Neraida?"

Carandial nodded. "Yes. I never thought I'd see those pests here."

"Were...they those mechanical assimilators you told me about?" Wendy asked.

"Indeed they were," Carandial replied.

Jack looked at Drew, noticing the bruises on his face. "What happened with you? The fight hasn't even happened yet."

Drew internally facepalmed.

' _Oh right.. How could I forget about THOSE?..'_ Drew thought to himself.

Thinking up a quick excuse that seemed to make sense, he replied,

"Been sparring with Mark Hunt and a few of the guys in his gym.. I gotta say, those guys will work you to _death_." Drew chuckled. "But you'll feel prepared, alright.."

Jack chuckled. "Thrawn said you're doing well with the droids as well. Hell, he said _both_ of you are."

Kyle beamed at that. He was _ecstatic_ that he had been making progress lately. It seemed he wasn't as weak as he once was.

"I agree.." Drew grinned. "I think Kyle's made even more progress than _I_ have.. He puts in the hard work, and it shows."

Jack nodded. "I could definitely see that."

He then added. "Even _Vader_ told me."

Kyle grinned. "Awesome!"

"Before long, he'll even be fighting in the Imperial Military!" Drew exclaimed half-jokingly, elbowing Jack slightly. "Ain't that right, Jack?"

Jack thought for a moment. "Perhaps..."

Kyle looked at Jack suspiciously. "What's with the mysterious tone?"

Jack grinned. "You'll see..."

Everyone couldn't help but murmur among each other at that. They wondered what Jack meant by that.

Drew looked at the smiling face of his girlfriend as he scanned the room for everyone's reactions based off that comment. He had his gaze _locked_ onto her now, and just began to sort of.. _think_.

Think about just _how_ lucky he was to have her in his life.. About all the stuff they had _gone_ through together.. About the _family_ they now had; one that they loved _immensely_ , and with all of their hearts..

And among these thoughts, only one _other_ thing stuck out in his head. A question, rather.

' _Why doesn't it feel complete yet?..'_ Drew thought.

It wasn't that he didn't love her. Hell, it was the exact _opposite_! He was head over freaking _heels_ for the woman..

But something just _didn't_ seem quite right.. Like a piece of the puzzle was somehow _missing_.. Like something wasn't exactly _done_ yet, that _needed_ to be..

After another moment of thought and deliberation, Drew widened his eyes. And shortly after, he smiled warmly at her. He _knew_ what had to be done now.. He _knew_ what felt so incomplete.

Inside his coat pocket, Drew had the Replicator inside, just in case of an _emergency_.. He pulled it out under the table, typed in a few things, and created an item.. A very _special_ item..

Putting the Replicator away as everyone continued their conversations, he took a deep breath and stood up out of his chair. This caught the entire table's attention, and even some of the other customers and staff inside the restaurant.

Bebe cocked a brow, looking at him, as well as the other people looking at him,

"Drew? What are you-"

"I have an announcement to make.." Drew said, loud enough for everyone to clearly hear. "Something _important_ that I feel _needs_ to be said, and something that _needs_ to be done.."

The other customers murmured among themselves, as well as the workers. They _knew_ Drew as one of the Emperors of the entire _world_ , so naturally they listened _well_..

Jack cocked a brow, watching intently. Even Carandial was paying attention very closely, curious as to what was going to happen.

"When I first came here, I'll admit.. I felt like a bit of an _outcast_." Drew began strongly, which shocked everyone in the room, even his friends. "Yeah, I did.. I may have made _wonderful_ friends in these guys right from the get go," He continued, motioning to Jack, Kyle, and Bebe mainly.

"But don't let that fool you.." Drew finished his sentence, shaking his head. "I still felt the same way I had my _entire_ life.. Rejected, hurt, felt like I wasn't good enough, just _so_ many things.. I _had_ awesome friends here! I hadn't had _many_ friends before! So you might be thinking, 'I don't _get_ it'.." He paused for a bit.

"'I don't get it at all, if you had friends, then why did you feel that way? Why are you even interrupting my dinner to _tell_ me this?' And well.. that brings me to what I have to announce.."

As he finished that sentence, he looked at Bebe, love in his eyes. It caused her to flush red, but she still listened on, not saying a _word_.

"When I first met this beautiful woman, I felt the way I did that I just explained to you.." Drew said. "But after I fought Mark Hunt at a UFC event not too long ago in Denver, I was _lucky_ enough that destiny decided to take its course.. We had met a couple times before, involving events I'm not gonna delve into. But that night, the night we truly ' _met'_ for the first time.. My feelings began to change.. I had _felt_ something I _never_ had before in my life for _years_."

The restaurant remained dead silent, everyone listening intently.

"And that feeling?" Drew added. " _Love_.."

With that out of the way, Drew got down on one knee, causing the entire _place_ to gasp in shock. He pulled out a diamond ring he had made using the Replicator just earlier.. Drew felt it was _time_..

"The entire time I've been with you, we've gone through just about _everything_.. We've laughed, we've cried, we've fought, and we've even made up.. We started a _beautiful_ family together that I wouldn't trade for the _world_.. Two beautiful daughters, a wonderful godmother, a _grandmother_ for our kids.. And lastly, but certainly not least.."

He paused, looking Bebe in her now tearful eyes. They were from tears of absolute _joy_ and shock. She had her mouth covered, absolutely stunned.

" _You_ , Bebe.. You.. You helped me through _so_ much, and for that, I can _never_ thank you enough.. You're my soulmate, my lover, my _everything_.. I love you.."

He held out the ring to her, and officially asked 'the question'.

"Bebe Stevens, will you marry me?"

Her response was almost immediate. She leaned forward and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, prompting _everyone_ in the restaurant to cheer for them. It was a standing _ovation_.

"Of _course_ I will.." Bebe responded tearfully. "But.. What a time to _do_ it.. _Asshole_.." She sarcastically joked with a chuckle.

Drew did the same, and once again they kissed, this time Drew slipping the ring on her finger.

It was truly a _magical_ and heartwarming moment..

Kyle smiled, looking at Jack, remembering when Jack had asked the same thing to him.

Jack smiled back.

"Congratulations guys!" Wendy said with a smile. "Be good to her Drew! She's my best friend, and if you piss her off, you're going to have to deal with me."

Drew rolled his eyes with a grin, finally pulling away from his now _fiancée_..

"I'll take your word for it.." Drew responded. "Oh, and thanks.."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So...what's going on?" Kyle asked as the group headed back to the house.

"Like I said, you'll see." Jack replied with a grin.

Carandial cocked a brow. "I don't trust that grin..."

When they got there, Jack stopped at the door. "Kyle," he paused.

He looked at Drew. "We have _all_ seen you work so hard over the last month. You have applied yourself to this so much, and have improved to the point that..."

He stopped, and opened the door. It was dark inside…

"You have proven that you _are_ capable of all we believed you could be, and now it's time we leave our roles as teacher and student..."

Kyle cocked a brow, but followed as Jack entered the house.

Drew, who was probably as close to Bebe as he had _ever_ been that nighy, cocked a brow. He walked a bit closer towards Kyle now, leaving Bebe slightly disappointed, but she looked on as well. The couple were _definitely_ going through some newfound lovey dovey feelings for _sure_..

As Drew now stood besides Kyle, he asked aloud,

"Okay.. So what _is_ it? Don't leave us in suspense, now."

At that moment, several lightsabers activated behind Jack. It was the Jedi Council and Darth Vader, standing in a semicircle, with their lightsabers held in front of them in a ceremonial stance.

"Step forward, Padawan Kyle." Yoda instructed.

Kyle's eyes widened, and he looked at a grinning Jack, who motioned for him to do so.

Kyle looked to the Jedi and Vader, before doing as commanded. He walked forward, before kneeling before Yoda.

"Kyle Broflovski," Yoda began. He moved his lightsaber to Kyle's left shoulder. "By the right of the council, by the will of the force," he moved his lightsaber back and forth.

"Dub thee I do..."

Kyle held his breath.

"Jedi Knight of the Empire."

As he saluted Kyle with his lightsaber, the young redhead stood up, grinning ear to ear.

Drew put a hand on Kyle's shoulder, surprising the new, as well as the _first_ , Jedi Knight.

"I knew you could do it.. You see? All it takes is patience, perseverance, and hard work.. You were way stronger than you were led to _believe_.. I _always_ had faith.. Congratulations."

Kyle smiled. "Thank you, Drew!"

"Thank you both for never giving up on me!"

Jack smiled. "He's right. You _are_ way stronger then you thought, _Jedi Knight_."

Kyle hugged Jack happily.

Jack looked at Drew, before nodding in thanks. Drew stepped back, now walking towards Bebe. As he did so, he returned the nod given by Jack.

"Congrats, Kyle.." Bebe complimented. "It sounds like a big honor: 'Jedi Knight'.."

"It is," Jack replied. "The first in the Empire."

"Wow..." Wendy commented, kind of in awe of that idea.

"Well done, Kyle." Carandial added, with a slight grin.

Kyle blinked, before his grin widened. "I won't disappoint, then!"

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"Alright, let's have it people." Jack began. The Emperors, the military officers, and a few other people were gathered around a table in the Imperial Palace. It was the first major meeting of the Empire.

"Basically, you can bring anything up. We're here to discuss what's going on, and how to respond to those...going's on."

"Perhaps...we appoint Regional Governors to oversee the various continents and regions of this world?" Caesarius suggested.

Drew, who was resting his hand on his chin, shook his head and replied,

"No, no.. I don't think we should go that route, personally.. I mean, just think of how much power all those nations would lose. And also how its _denizens_ would react.. It would be too much chaos than what it's worth.." Drew gave his opinion on the matter.

"Well, I wasn't suggesting dissolving the nations. Your country, America, was divided into counties and states? My idea was that that the countries would act in the role of counties, retaining their autonomy, and control of the military forces assigned to their borders, and they would be grouped under a Moff for the purpose of overseeing the continent, which would fulfill the role of state government."

Drew cocked a brow of both curiosity and uncertainty.

"And what nations does this include?.." He questioned.

"Every nation would be grouped into a single sector, for example, the North American Sector. It is to streamline the government of this planet. It would work much more efficiently than consulting the hundred and fifty plus nations of the world, without dissolving those nations completely.."

Drew once again shook his head in disagreement.

"If you mean by continent, then that is _certainly_ not going to bode well.. I'm sure the Israelites and the Palestinians are going to _love_ being grouped in the same sector.. They literally _hate_ each other.. The radicals, anyway.. They don't want to be associated in _any_ way." He paused for a bit, before he listed another example,

"North and South Korea.. Sure, maybe talks of peace were being discussed.. But what if said talks fall through? Will they like being apart of the same sector together? I wouldn't think so.. All I'm saying is, while it may be easier, you have to think of how the _people_ of said nations will take this news.. Whether it directly affects them or _not_.."

"I am aware of the situation in that region," Caesarius replied. "As I said, the countries are not annexed into a single polity. Each Sector consists of multiple countries that make it up, instead of consolidating the countries into the same sector. However, I must admit that you are right that many would dislike such a scenario, which is why I would amend this proposal to only include areas that are more open to integration, though perhaps certain advantages can be created to persuade the nations to accept integration into a sector?"

"I agree. One day, there may be reconciliation between binaries who have been taught to hate each other, but for now, there must be transition," Alex declared.

"Perhaps a cultural or linguistic sector makeup? Perhaps an English speaking Sector?" Carandial suggested.

"If you take that literally, there would be about twenty sectors in Europe. Thankfully, the EU brought about integration of the main languages, and therefore that would work with Europe, Central America, South America, the Middle East, you get what I'm getting at?" Alex questioned.

"Perhaps a combination of all three?" Jack suggested. "Group people who would be more comfortable with each other?"

Drew simply gave a slight shrug and nod. It was likely his hesitant or conceding way of saying 'yes'.

"What about the rule of law in those regions?" Lee asked. "Perhaps the people could elect sector attorneys?"

"That could work. They could coordinate with the federal courts."

The meeting continued for a little with relatively little argument, until Drew began to think of something..

Something he had been wondering for _quite_ awhile now.. He couldn't even seem to figure out this information as _Batman_. He didn't know if it was because the Empire's prisons were just _that_ tight on security or what..

But regardless, he brought it up, anyways..

"What of super criminals like The Joker and.. ' _Scarecrow'_ was it?.." Drew began to ask. "I mean.. They've been in that same prison in South Park for a _while_ now.. Do you think it'll be enough for evil of their caliber?"

"We have transferred them to orbital prisons. Alex suggested a Vibranium ring, and Caesarius added to the idea by creating orbital prisons for the worst criminals." Jack replied.

Drew nodded his head, seeming to be loving how this was being handled so far.

"Okay, good.." He responded. "And what is the security looking like?.."

"We keep highly trained and programmed droids. They cannot be hacked by any device that currently exists on your planet. Everything is automated on the prisons, no innocent people are in any danger."

Drew could only sigh in relief at that, followed by a pleased grin. At the very least, he wouldn't have to ever deal with _those_ two again..

Right?..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Moff Caesarius?"

Caesarius looked up from his desk. In the weeks that followed the meeting, he had been appointed the Moff of the Anglophone Sector, and right now was looking over the various files which he would use to form his administration.

"Attorney Dent is here I'm guessing?" He asked.

"Yes sir." The Secretary responded.

"Send him in."

A few seconds later, a man standing at about 6 feet even walked through the door. He was in a very nice white suit, which had a blue tie. The man had black hair, which was combed very neatly to the side, had brown eyes, and had an overall fit build.

"Moff Caesarius, if I'm not mistaken?" The man greeted with a polite grin. His voice didn't have that deep a tone when he spoke, but it wasn't high pitched, either..

The man extended out his hand in greeting to Caesarius.

Caesarius shook his hand, and nodded. "Welcome, Mr. Dent. I hear good things about you. Graduated from Yale, served as District Attorney in the city of Chicago for 6 years, the youngest DA _ever_ in that city, if I'm not mistaken, and a clean record.."

"Very impressive. I trust you are up to the task ahead of you?" He finally asked.

"You know, Moff Caesarius.." Harvey Dent began. "I don't see this position as much of a task, as it is a _privilege_ and an _honor_ to serve what is likely this wonderful, family oriented town of South Park.. I only want what's best for this town, _and_ for its people.. To answer your question, I was ready _way_ before I ever set foot in this building.." He ended with a grin.

Caesarius grinned back. "Excellent. I look forward to working with you for the good of these people. Your office is down the hall on the right. Best of luck, Sector Attorney."

"Thank you.. It's was nice to meet you." Harvey Dent said, as he shook Caesarius' hand once again.

With that, he exited the room, walking down the hallway. As he did so, he began to casually whistle as he reached into his pocket.

Once he got what he needed from his pocket, it was now revealed to be a sole _coin_.. The same size of a quarter, to be exact.. He began to flip the coin repeatedly as he walked the rest of the way down the hall, until he finally walked into his office, shutting the door behind him..

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Wendy and Bebe were walking down the street, just chatting. "Did I tell you Carandial got promoted?" Wendy asked.

Bebe shook her head.

"No, but that's good! What did he get promoted to?" She asked.

"He told me he got promoted to Grand Admiral. Apparently, with Caesarius as Governor now, Carandial is taking over as the highest ranking officer." Wendy replied. "How are you and Drew doing anyway? I heard little Kenzi is starting to walk and talk."

Bebe seemed to beam upon being asked that.

"We're doing _great_ , actually! Can you believe we're getting _married_ in a couple weeks!? It's _crazy_ to think about.. And oh yeah." She laughed in a knowing manner.

"Kenzi sure can be a handful.. But we still love her! She actually started talking in short sentences now, and can walk just fine! Before long, she'll be running all over the place."

Wendy laughed a bit. "I _told_ you kids could be a handful! Remember when we had to take care of those eggs back in 4th grade?"

Bebe rolled her eyes with a smirk.

" _Yes_.." She emphasized. "I remember that.. I had Stan as a partner. He barely pulled his weight on the project, though.. I was basically a single mother." She shrugged at the end.

Wendy nodded. "Kyle was really great with our egg. Makes sense, considering how great he is with his kids."

She stopped. "Oh yeah, he mentioned that everyone joked about him being a girl in the relationship, so it makes even more sense."

The two couldn't help but giggle at that statement. Bebe and Wendy continued to walk, as Bebe's face fell a bit.

"I wonder _how_ Stan is doing, anyways.. I think Drew talked to him a few times when they and Kenny finished building our new house. But ever since then, nobody's seemed to hear from Stan at _all_.." Bebe explained.

Wendy sighed. "I...don't really blame him. I do feel bad, but at the same time, what's done is done."

"I understand _completely_ , girlfriend.." Bebe reassured her. She then sighed. "I.. I may have Drew go check on him tonight. Or y'know, _someone_. As crazy as he may have acted that day for whatever reason, I still see him as a friend, and I _know_ Drew and Kenny do too.."

"I...do too. I want him to be happy, even if we just wouldn't work out anymore.." Wendy sighed.

There was a bit of silence, before Bebe asked,

"Hey.. You haven't been _by_ our new house, have you? If you want, you can come and visit for awhile.. I think Drew, Kenzi, Nzuri, and Kenny are there. That's about it. Adia went over to Jack's to hang out with Simba, Amelia, Kylie, and Nala.. Ain't much going on.."

There was a bit of a pause, as Bebe widened her eyes slightly,

"Oh, God.. Did I just say 'ain't'?.. I swear, Drew is corrupting me.." She laughed.

Wendy chuckled. "Oh god help us all then."

Bebe's only response was to roll her eyes. She then asked once again,

"So.. what do you say? You wanna come by? Or do you have _plans_ , or?.."

"Why not? I can't wait to see it!"

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Stan laid back on his bed, looking up at his ceiling. It had been a fairly uneventful past few days.. He, Kenny, and Drew all finished up the house that they had been working on for quite awhile, and after that..

He barely did anything, really.. Stan hadn't so much as left his house to go out and do something. And all because he felt _one_ thing..

 _Guilt_.

What he had _done_ that day, during New Year's.. It made Stan feel _so_ ashamed the way he handled it.. He argued with Wendy, called her names, insulted _other_ people who were barely involved, and overall, _completely_ freaked the fuck out and went overboard..

Stan continued to lie there in silence, unable to get the horrible memories of that night out of his head. His eyes held red under them, which clearly signified that he had been crying..

However, he was _past_ that now.. He was unable to cry at this point, even if he _really_ wanted to..

All Stan could really do in this moment was _think_.. Think about what he did, and feel sorry for himself..

' _Wendy must REALLY hate me..'_ Stan thought with a sigh of sadness. ' _They must ALL hate me, somewhat.. Well, besides Drew and Kenny.. But who knows. Even my Super Best Friend appears to be mad at me.. He hasn't talked to me since it HAPPENED..'_

Stan pulled a pillow over his face, the thoughts _really_ beginning to take a toll on him now.. He was at a _loss_.

"What the hell am I gonna do?.." Stan muttered to himself. "School starts back soon, and I don't know _how_ I'm gonna face them again.."

The sudden noise of his phone vibrating loudly on his nightstand made him jump. He turned, picked it up to decline the call. He wasn't in the mood-

It was Kyle.

His expression now shifted to that of surprise, though the guilty sadness still evidently remained…,

' _K- Kyle?..'_ Stan thought. ' _What could he want?.. I- I guess I should talk to him..'_

Stan took a deep breath, before finally answering the call.

"H- Hello?.." Stan casually greeted.

"Stan?" Kyle asked. "...How are you, man?"

Stan closed his eyes and took another deep breath. He knew _exactly_ how he felt.. But should he tell the truth?..

Making his decision, Stan replied,

"I feel like fucking _shit_.."

"I'm...sorry, Stan. But I don't blame you..." Kyle replied. Stan detected that Kyle wanted to say something, but he was being evasive.

"Is.. something on your mind, man?" Stan asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Jack and I-" Kyle stopped, before taking a deep breath. "Jack and I are getting married tomorrow, and I want you to be there."

Stan immediately was in a state of shock. Sure, he had known about this in advance, but he had almost completely _forgotten_ about it, since it was announced quite awhile ago!

The memories _immediately_ came back to Stan yet again.. How he acted like a crazed fool. Surely everyone else wanted _nothing_ to do with him, besides a select few in Kenny, Kyle, and Drew..

"W- Who all's gonna be there?.." Stan casually asked, _dreading_ the inevitable name that Kyle would soon utter..

"Well, Kenny, Drew and his family, Alex and his family, the Admirals and..." Kyle trailed off. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife..

"She's gonna be there.. isn't she?.." Stan calmly asked. Almost _too_ calmly, as if he didn't really care anymore. "Wendy's gonna be there with Carandial.."

He didn't sound _angry_ when he said it, just really, _really_ bummed out and depressed.

There was a moment before Kyle hesitantly replied. "Yes, she is."

Stan once again closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying his absolute _hardest_ not to shed any tears or show any emotional weakness.. He had to stay strong..

Stan sniffled one small time, and sat there in silence for a few seconds. Just before Kyle was about to ask if Stan was still there, Stan responded,

"Okay.." Kyle sat in silence himself for a bit, trying to decipher if what Stan said was actually _true_ or not.. "I'll- I'll _go_ to your wedding, man.. But _not_ for her! Not to feel sorry for myself! Not to act like a total asshole! I'm doing this for _you_ , Super Best Friend.. And you alone.."

"Thank you Stan." Kyle replied. "You...you don't know how much this really does mean to me."

Stan forced a smile on the other end and said,

"Wouldn't miss it for the world.." He then joked afterwards, "And.. _besides_ , I guess it's about time I stopped acting like those cringy goth kids at school like I did _last_ time.. Back in Elementary School.." Stan couldn't help but cringe at the end, remembering that day _well_.. And it was for a _very_ similar reason!

Kyle chuckled a bit as well. "That would be...nice... _perse_." Kyle imitated what one of them said all the time.

Stan laughed at the imitation, knowing full _well_ what Kyle was doing.

"Case in point.." Stan replied, still laughing a bit.

There was more silence from the two of them, before Stan asked,

"So I.. guess I'll see you at the wedding, or?.. Are you guys doing anything today?.."

"We're getting married tomorrow. The ceremony's at 3, but everyone's going to get there around 11. Nothing's happening today, though."

"Okay." Stan simply replied, letting Kyle know that he understood that.

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The next day, as Kyle had said, people started arriving around 11. Currently, Kyle and Kenny were waiting for Stan to arrive.

Kyle smiled slightly. "I can't believe this is really happening man!" He said to Kenny, almost giddy with excitement.

Kenny gave a polite grin in response and said,

"I'm proud of you, Kyle.. I wish you a life of happiness!"

Kyle beamed back. "Thanks! And...thanks again to agreeing to what I asked. It does mean a lot..."

"Anytime.." Kenny nodded. "I'm sure Stan will be _just_ as honored to walk you down the aisle as I am.."

Kyle nodded. "I hope so..."

As if on cue, said raven haired teen had finally arrived. Upon seeing Kyle and Kenny, Stan smiled nervously.

"Hey, guys.." Stan greeted.

" _There_ he is!.." Kenny responded with an energetic grin. "Been a few days, my brother.."

"Yeah.. I know." Stan sighed. He then regained his grin. "But.. that's behind me now.. For _real_ this time. I just gotta move on with my life, no matter how hard it might be.. And besides, today is the most _special_ day in my Super Best Friend's _life_! And I only intend to make sure it's as _awesome_ as it can be.."

Kyle smiled, and hugged Stan happily. "Thanks man! So glad you could be here! Can...can you believe it?! I'm actually getting _married_ today?!"

Kyle was _clearly_ far more full of energy than he usually was. It was kind of nice to see him this happy after all that happened.

And _because_ he was so energetic and happy, Stan and Kenny couldn't help but feel at ease.. If you look back at his behavior from a couple years ago, to _now_? There is a _massive_ difference! And a _positive_ one at that..

Kyle stopped for a moment, before he asked Stan. "Stan, could I ask you something?"

Stan looked at Kyle, his newfound happy expression on his face, responding,

"Anything.. What is it, dude?"

"Would...would you walk me down the aisle with Kenny?"

Stan's eyes instantly widened. He looked over at Kenny, as if to confirm if this was true or not. Kenny gave him the thumbs up, which prompted Stan to reply,

"Wow.." There was a bit of stunned silence. "I.. don't know what to _say_ , I-"

"You're my super best friend, dude. I...thought it would only be right. After all the both of you have done for me..."

Stan stood there for a bit, before at last, a smirk returned to his face.

"Hell yeah!" Stan energetically accepted Kyle's offer now.

It was like he was a _totally_ different person between the phone conversation he had with Kyle yesterday, to now..

That was good to see. He hoped maybe things could _finally_ get better…

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Jack took a deep breath as he approached Drew, Bebe, who was holding a now able to _walk_ Kenzi's hand, Alex and Cate. The ceremony wasn't that far away. Jack had worn a tuxedo which he hoped looked good. He wasn't that great with fashion…

"Hey guys!" He grinned. He smiled at Kenzi. "Hey Kenzi, how's my niece doing?"

"I saw a airpwane!" Kenzi energetically revealed to Jack. She was speaking in full sentences now, but still wasn't able to understand what Jack exactly meant.

Bebe rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"She saw it on the way over here.. She was just _so_ fascinated by it."

Jack chuckled. "I bet. How is everyone doing?"

"We are merry on this merry day. We're more than delighted that this day has come for you both. It's what you both deserve after everything that has happened and all that has tested your love," Alex proclaimed.

Jack smiled. "Yes. I just hope it goes well. We've had enough surprises to last a _lifetime_."

"Oh, and Drew?" Jack then asked.

"Yeah?" Drew responded while helping Kenzi retie her shoes. They had come untied again for me reason..

"Adia wanted me to tell you that that prank she and Simba played on you was actually my idea. I just didn't know they'd actually go _through_ with it..." He hesitated. "Sorry about that..."

As Drew finished tying Kenzi's shoe, his eyes widened a bit.

"You _fucker_! That was my _favorite_ shirt.." Drew replied half teasingly. "At least it was just _water_ they poured on me, though.. I guess."

As if on cue, Adia, Kylie, Amelia, Simba and Nala ran from outside. "Hey daddy!" Kylie greeted with a slight smile. Simba stopped upon seeing Drew's expression. "You told him didn't you?" He chuckled.

Drew stood there for a bit, before his expression beamed slightly. He got a smirk on his face, before saying to the kids,

"Hey, guys.. Follow me over here for a second. I got something to tell you.."

Simba and Adia hesitantly followed, while Kylie, Amelia and Nala looked on with anticipation.

Once they were away from earshot of everyone else, Drew began,

"Okay.. Here's the deal.."

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Kyle took a deep breath as he waited to head out. Jack was waiting. Everyone was ready. This was it.

He locked his arms with Stan and Kenny. "Thanks again guys..." He said.

Stan and Kenny both nodded in response.

"Anytime, dude.. We're just glad that you're happy." Stan said.

"You ready? Should be time to walk out anytime now.." Kenny added.

Kyle nodded, and the three began to walk forward. As they entered the church, Kyle and Jack locked eyes. Jack smiled slightly upon seeing Kyle. As they reached the edge of the altar, Kyle stood across from Jack, and as their vows were recited, they could only look into each other's eyes.

"Jack Anderson, do you take Kyle Broflovski as your lawful wedded husband? To love and cherish him? To stand by him in times of both hardship and joy, in sickness and in health? Until death do you part?"

Jack smiled, "I do."

"Kyle Broflovski, do you take Jack Anderson as your lawful wedded husband? To love and cherish him? To stand by him in times of both hardship and joy, in sickness and in health? Until death do you part?"

Kyle grinned. "I do."

"Then, I now pronounce you legally married. You may kiss your spouse."

Kyle and Jack embraced each other and kissed happily. It was a moment of pure bliss.

"Very well done, Anakin, I almost took you seriously for a second." Obi-Wan whispered to Vader.

"Fuck off..." Vader muttered as he left the altar. Why had he agreed to officiate the wedding again?

Everyone in attendance stood up to their feet and gave a round of applause for the newlyweds. Drew and Bebe did the same, looking over at each other with _passion_ in their eyes..

Just less than a week, and they _too_ would be legally married!

Kenzi clapped really fast; faster than everyone else. She didn't know what was going on, but she laughed as she did so, as if she were having fun.

Adia and Nzuri couldn't exactly _clap_ , but they gave happy smiles and showed their respect and support that way..

Jack stopped, and grinned. Without warning, he grabbed and dipped Kyle bridal style to kiss him. Kyle was _definitely_ surprised by that, but he was too happy to care.

"I love you." Jack whispered.

"I know." Kyle replied.

"I always saw you more as Leia than Han, but okay."

As everyone was distracted, Drew approached Stan and Kenny, pulling them aside.

"Drew? Hey, man! How's it going! Haven't talked to you this whole time." Kenny said with a grin. He then cocked a brow, as did Stan. "What did you need though? What's going on?"

"Yeah, why are you smili-" Stan began, before Drew cut them off.

"Come on.. I'll explain it outside. I'll need both of your help.." Drew explained with a smirk, as he and his two friends began to slip towards the exit.

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"DREW! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU! THAT WAS _NOT_ FUNNY!"

Bebe and Kyle jumped when they heard Jack yell that in the distance.

Drew, Stan, Kenny, and the kids all laughed gleefully at the top of their lungs as they began to run away from Jack.

In secret, unbeknownst to Jack, Drew had orchestrated a plan to _prank_ Jack out of _revenge_ for coming up with the idea to soak him in water..

Drew had told Stan and Kenny about the plan, and needless to say, much like the kids, they were _ecstatic_! He had them go quickly to the nearest store, and buy a _shitload_ of Super Soakers!

And as soon as Jack walked in the room for the party, and when he was an easy target…

"That's what ya get, asshole!" Drew taunted as he yelled behind him with a laugh, continuing to run.

Kyle looked at Bebe, trying to contain his laughter. "Men..." He chuckled sarcastically, referencing Bebe's comment. That seemed so long ago, but yet it had only been four months.

Bebe couldn't help but laugh at that. She held her wine glass up towards Kyle's as she held Kenzi, simply watching the kids and the 'kids' have their fun..

" _Exactly_.." Bebe responded. "To a lifetime of happiness.. and looking after grown children?" She jokingly finished as she held the wine glass up.

Kyle held his own wine glass up and clinked it to Bebe's. "To a lifetime of happiness...and looking after grown children." He replied with a smile. The two drank their wine, before Drew yelled.

"HEY! NO FORCE, YOU FUCKING CHEATER!" It seemed Jack had zapped him with a non-lethal force lightning shock. Basically, it felt like he got shocked after he walked across a rug and touched an outlet.

Jack's moment of victory was cut short when Kylie got the super soaker and sprayed Jack right in the face.

While he was distracted, Drew ran over towards Bebe, Kyle, and Kenzi.

"Oh, God.." Bebe rolled her eyes. "Here we go.."

"Come here, sweetie.." Drew softly said to Kenzi as he held out his arms.

Kenzi beamed and immediately wanted to be held by her Dad. Bebe sighed and relented, wanting to see where this was going.

With Kenzi in his arms, Drew walked back over towards Jack, and sat Kenzi down. He gave her the Super Soaker and aimed it in Jack's direction.

"Okay, Kenzi.. Shoot the fucking cheater.. Come on.." Drew said in a voice that would be used to talk to babies.

However, his plan _immediately_ backfired, as Kenzi now pointed it at him.

"Kenzi?.." Drew asked. "Kenzi no-"

 _Squirt! Squirt!_

Kyle immediately burst out laughing, nearly dropping his wine glass. Kenzi did the same, until Drew tried moving her Super Soaker back towards Jack.

" _There_ you go.." Drew said, as Kenzi now began going to town. Jack was now being soaked _repeatedly_ by _all_ the kids, as well as Stan and Kenny, who wanted in on the fun too.

Drew walked back towards Bebe and Kyle and sat down for a moment, his hair soaked with water.

Suddenly, _they_ were caught by a spray of water from... _Caesarius_. "Amateur..." He muttered, before twirling the super soaker in his hand and shooting _everyone_ else with it.

"Bang, bang! Shoot, _shoot_!" Kenzi yelled out as she shot at Caesarius now, hitting him in the face.

Caesarius laughed, before shooting at Jack. Carandial got up now, and shot Caesarius with a super soaker as well.

"Thanks a lot, Drew..." Kyle muttered as he wiped some water from his face. However, he was clearly smiling at this.

"Anytime, Mr. Jedi Wife- I mean _Knight_.." Drew joked with a smirk.

"Alright, wise guy!" Kyle growled. "Bet! You and Jack have an old west style standoff, and if Jack wins, you have to..." Kyle thought for a moment. "You have to be a stripper to a Justin Bieber song at tonight's party for the adults!"

Drew cringed at that, disgusted by such an idea.. He didn't want _that_! He would need to make sure the stakes were just as even..

"And if _I_ win.." Drew began. "You have to walk in with a _bikini_ and _lipstick_ on in front of _everybody_! Including Jack! Oh, and you gotta kiss him and _admit_ you're like a girl.. Because you're _such_ a good wifey, am I right?.." Drew teased once again with a smirk.

Kyle's eyes widened, but the idea of Drew having to be a stripper to a Justin Bieber song…

"Deal." Kyle replied, while Bebe simply tried to contain her laughter. Either way, it was going to be _quite_ something to witness..

As Drew got up, Bebe whispered to Kyle,

"Between you and me.. I hope Drew has to be a _stripper_.." As she said that, she made lustful eyes at Drew, before she laughed.

Kyle chuckled. "Jack's going to win. So that will probably happen."

"I dunno.." Bebe said. "You _do_ remember where Drew grew up, right?.."

Kyle froze. "Oh... _fuck_..."

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There was silence for a few moments as everyone got out of the way. Jack and Drew stood at two ends of the room, while everyone watched with anticipation.

"Who do you think's going to win?" Vader asked Kenny.

"I dunno.." Kenny admitted. "If those Missouri boys shoot as good as he claims, I may have to edge Drew for this one.. But I dunno.. Jack was an _amazing_ commander in the war.."

Vader nodded, before the pair looked out. Suddenly, a tumbleweed rolled through the room.

"Okay.. Whose idea was this?" Drew chuckled as he saw the tumbleweed.

Jack and Drew looked at each other, and the two slowly began reaching for their guns. Drew was the first to draw. Jack went for his gun, but dropped it on the ground as he pulled it from the holster.

 _BANG!_

Drew had gotten a direct hit on Jack. He was the victor!

He tried spinning his gun around like you would see in old Westerns, but he struggled a bit. However, he still managed to put the gun back in his holster, and stand there the winner.

Jack got up, and shrugged. "Lucky shot…" He muttered.

"Wanna try for 2 out of 3?" Drew confidently boasted.

Kyle squeezed his eyes shut. "Please say yes. Oh god please say yes!"

Kenny noticed the absolutely desperate way Kyle had said that.

"Uh.. Kyle? What's going on?" Kenny asked with both concern and curiosity.

"No thanks. I know not to challenge a MASTER gunslinger like you." Jack replied. Kyle's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when Jack said that.

Drew nodded and began to walk away. As he walked past Kyle, he shaped his fingers into a gun and blew on them with a wink.

A cocky sign that told Kyle he had to hold up his end of the bet..

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"Alright, everyone's here…" Jack chuckled. "Wait...where's Kyle?" He asked the others.

Drew sat there with a smirk.

"She's getting read- He's getting ready.." Drew intentionally slipped up.

Stan and Kenny looked at Drew, curious as to what he meant by that.

"Drew? What do you mean by tha-" Stan began, before Drew cut him off.

"You'll see. It's me, Kyle, _and_ Bebe's secret.."

Everyone looked at Bebe for a bit, who simply shrugged with a knowing smirk.

Jack was about to ask, before there was a sudden silence.

The door opened, and…

Kyle walked out in a swimsuit and nothing else. But not just any swimsuit. A _woman's_ bikini. It was white, and it was even a bit skimpy actually. To sell it, Kyle also had lipstick on. In all honesty, if they didn't know who he was, they'd _think_ this was a girl. Apparently, Kyle kind of had the body for it, minus the breasts and all.

Kyle's cheeks flushed as red as his hair as he walked towards them. _No_ , not _those_ cheeks you perverts!

"Oh… _My God_!" Kenny laughed out loud as he looked at Kyle. He then looked at Drew and asked, "Okay.. How and _why_?"

Drew shrugged with rolled eyes and a smirk.

"Oh.. Just a silly bet Kyle made with me.. Apparently he didn't think I could sling guns.."

"That is _awesome_!" Stan chuckled as well, as he and Kenny gave Drew a fistbump.

Jack's mouth was agape. Kyle squeezed his eyes shut, and bent over to kiss Jack.

Jack was surprised. However, after that, Jack looked at Drew with a blank expression.

"...And...I _am_ the girl in the relationship..." Kyle muttered.

"Happy newlyweds!" Drew said as he held up his glass, except his was filled with water.

"Happy newlyweds!" Everyone else said, holding up their glasses as well.

Jack's face contorted into...a smirk. "You know...I _thank_ you for this opportunity, Drew."

Drew was about to reply, before he noticed that Jack...seemed to be turned on by Kyle's new look…

"Aghh.." Drew cringed slightly, regretting the idea. "Oh, Christ.."

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For _some_ reason, the next day, Kyle awoke feeling...different. He couldn't quite place it at first as he got up out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He began to brush his teeth, just trying to _forget_ the previous night.

He looked up a bit, and froze…

Jack jumped ten feet when he heard Kyle's scream.

As he landed on the bed, he immediately got up, and rushed into the bathroom, before freezing too.

Kyle turned around and…

He immediately, almost instinctively covered his chest in shock.

But Jack… had already seen _them_.

Jack's eyes widened. He had to blink a bit at that.

But to his _utter_ shock, they were still there.

His...husband was now a girl.

He... _she_ was around the same height he had been before, but now, Kyle had more pronounced curves. She also had more noticeable eyelashes. Her breasts were actually bigger then Bebe's even…

"Jack!"

He jumped slightly, shaking himself from his thoughts. Kyle narrowed her eyes at him. "Eyes up here!"

Kyle was _clearly_ distressed. "Oh god! What the hell _happened_ to me?! Why am I like this?! Why-"

She stopped when Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "Kyle, calm _down_!" He said firmly.

She looked at him for a moment, surprised by his tone.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I just...trust me, it will be fine. We'll figure this out. I _promise_."

Kyle looked at him. She sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry for freaking out. It's just... _weird_. This whole situation is _weird_!"

Jack chuckled. "Agreed."

Kyle frowned slightly. "Hey," Jack whispered, looking in her eyes.

"Look at me. Don't think this changes anything between us. I still love you, and I always will. You're still my husband."

Kyle smiled slightly, and leaned against Jack's shoulder.

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"You think we _could_ make something like that?" Kyle asked. She was a little suspicious about this. She hoped it would work, but if they made something like this that could be mass produced, there would _definitely_ be unintended consequences. Gender was a very major thing to change, and to make something that could change it like this just didn't sit well with her.

However, as Jack attempted to design said device, it just didn't work. It didn't say 'errors' or anything. It just said 'No Possible Designs'.

Jack sighed in frustration. He tried again, and again, and again. But it was always the same result.

"Jack?" She asked as it looked like Jack was about to throw the Replicator on the ground in frustration.

He sighed. "Yeah?"

"It's fine, just let it go."

He looked at her for a moment. "What? But...there _has_ to be a way to fix this. We can get...that procedure done or something or-"

"No." Kyle said.

"I...don't want to get something like that done. It just...doesn't sit well with me. I honestly want to just...be what I am, even if I have to change like this."

Jack looked at her for a second. "I don't want you to have to worry about that though. I mean, what if tomorrow you wake up a boy again?"

"I...don't know. I really don't. But we did get Amelia without any explanation. What if this is a blessing in disguise like she was?"

Jack sighed. "Alright. Whatever happens, I'll be there for you. No matter what."

"Thank you..." Kyle replied.

Kyle's face fell a bit. "But...we _do_ have to explain it to the kids. I mean, _how_ are we going to go about that?"

Jack sighed. "I don't know. If you want I can try to tell them first, rather then just ease them into this."

At that moment, however, they heard the last thing they wanted to hear right now. A knock on the door, followed by the sound of it opening.

From what they could hear, Amelia, Kylie and Simba were greeting Drew and his family.

Jack facepalmed. "Perhaps we shouldn't have agreed to hang out today..."

Kyle nodded. "Agreed."

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"So...how is your favorite shirt?" Amelia asked Drew. "Simba told us what happened with that first prank."

"Luckily not wet now.." Drew replied with a bit of a grin, as he and his family all entered the house. "How's Mr. Deadeye's shirt from yesterday?.." Drew asked teasingly.

"Not so good. Dad forgot to buy the dishwasher soap so he had to hang it up, and it fell in the mud last night." Simba replied.

"So...what movie did you bring this time?" Kylie asked.

Before Drew could answer, the group saw a _very_ nervous looking Jack enter the room. "Hey guys..." He greeted with a slight nod. You could tell he _clearly_ had something on his mind that was weighing heavily on him.

"Daddy? Are you okay?" Amelia asked, picking up on that.

Drew briefly studied Jack's expression and general body language, and quite clearly, there were _evident_ signs of panic, nervousness, and fear..

But of _what_?

Was he hiding something? Had something happened?

"Are you okay, Jack?.." Drew decided to start. He motioned that it was okay for his family to sit down or whatever they had to do if they wanted, as he walked closer towards Jack.

Jack sighed. "You guys might want to sit down for this one. It's...I don't even _know_ how to describe it."

Drew simply stopped and looked back towards everyone, who held expressions of slight worry. Usually whenever Jack held this tone of voice, it was something _major_.

Drew decided to humor Jack, and went into the living room, sitting down beside Bebe and the rest of his family. Amelia, Kylie, and Simba all sat down as well.

Jack hesitated for a moment, before he spoke. "Alright, everything I'm about to tell you is _dead_ serious. I'm not joking. I'm not high or anything. What I'm telling you is one hundred percent true."

He looked down. "Well, basically, this morning, when we woke up, something _massive_ has changed with Kyle."

Jack's kids gasped a bit in surprise. "Is daddy okay?" Amelia asked.

"What happened?" Simba inquired.

"It's.. nothing _serious_ is it?" Adia asked with concern of her own. Adia, as well as _all_ the kids were beginning to grow more mature.. Especially Adia, Simba, and Nala.

At this point, they were in the final stages of cubhood, and were essentially adolescents at this point.

"When I woke up this morning, Kyle...had changed into a girl." Jack finally got out. There, he had said it.

"...What?" Simba asked, puzzled. Amelia gawked a bit, while Kylie looked confused, but also a bit curious.

"A _girl_?.." Drew began to laugh aloud, thinking of this as some sort of prank Jack was trying to pull, referencing the previous night. "No _way_.."

However, Jack's expression remained the same serious expression. He didn't show _any_ sign of amusement or even an indication that he was anything but truthful.

Drew sat there in silence for a bit, before commenting,

"You know.. You have a _hell_ of a poker face.. I'll give you tha-"

He froze mid sentence when Jack's spouse walked into view. Kyle walked out but, _just_ as Jack had said, she was a girl. Jack...wasn't….lying…

Kyle looked down, crossing his/her arms, and avoiding looking at the others.

"Oh.. my God.." Bebe gasped. "K- Kyle?.."

Drew was stunned. He couldn't _believe_ what he was seeing, nor could anyone _else_ in the room, really.. He felt a _massive_ sense of irony here..

"H- _How_?.." Drew managed to get out through a stunned stutter.

"We don't know." Kyle replied. "It just...happened. I woke up and I am a girl. No explanation or anything. I just...changed."

More silence reigned, before Drew shook his head in disbelief, standing to his feet.

"W- Well.. We gotta find a way to change you _back_.. I mean, surely somehow the Replicator can-"

"It can't. We tried that." Kyle cut in. "And...I'm not getting a procedure done to change me back. I...never believed in doing something like that."

Drew threw up his arms, as if defeated. As he plopped back down on the couch, he muttered to himself,

"Jesus.."

"How do all these strange things keep _happening_?.." Adia questioned. "I mean.. next thing you know, Alex is gonna grow _real_ wings and be able to fly! It's _insane_.."

Drew and the rest of the family nodded in agreement.

"Adia makes a good point.. What the hell is going _on_ lately?.." Bebe asked, herself, shaking her head.

"I don't know." Jack shook his head. "Five months and the world changes like this?"

"I just hope something doesn't happen to _us_.." Drew seriously said. "I mean.. what if _we_ suddenly became women?" He then motioned to everyone else in the room, save for Simba. "Or if _they_ turn into men? Eventually.. it's just gonna be a clusterfuck that confuses _everyone_.."

"It will be." Jack nodded. "Let's just hope the weird stuff stops soon, because I am not ready to worship a flying spaghetti monster."


	15. Chapter 14, An Empire Divided

Jack, Drew, Alex, Kyle, Bebe and Cate were walking down the street. It had been a few weeks since Kyle had changed into a girl. Luckily, nothing else...strange like that seemed to have happened in the interim. Things were going well actually. The Empire was stabilizing, crime was at an all time low worldwide, and the newly formed Imperial Navy was starting to deployed in force around the world to assist in the current rebuilding of the world's infrastructure.

"So, the fight's in a week, eh?" Jack asked Drew.

Drew nodded with a sigh.

"Yes.. The press conference is actually _tomorrow_.. Y'know, all the promotional stuff where the fighters answer questions and usually where trash talk takes place.." Drew looked down slightly. "I _still_ can't help but feel nervous about this whole thing.. Mark Hunt, as well as _many_ of those who have fought Jon Jones before have been training me for the fight.. Thrawn has been training me more _mentally_ for this fight.. But even still, I can't but feel like the David in this whole situation.. Jon Jones is the _definition_ of a Goliath! An _unbreakable_ one, at that.."

Everyone looked at Drew's lack of confidence. As the fight came closer and closer, his confidence shrunk as well.. He wasn't totally sure he could do this.. The bruises on his face _clearly_ showed the intense sparring and hard work he had put into his training at the gym.. But mentally, he was questionable right now..

"I have faith in you, babe.." Bebe softly, yet genuinely told Drew. "He's _just_ a man.. Go out there, kick his ass, and _prove_ he can bleed too.."

Drew grinned at Bebe's support, and listened to her words.. They made a _lot_ of sense.. While the doubt was still there, he would be lying if he said she didn't help out a lot just now..

"Thank you.." Drew replied, giving Bebe a peck on the cheek. They all continued to walk, as Drew stuffed his hands in his pockets, taking a _deep_ breath, and mentally trying to get it together for what was inevitably going to be _chaos_ tomorrow..

"I'm sure you can beat him. I mean, I've _seen_ you train so hard for him. Thrawn commented that you're improving with every session. I am confident that you can win. And likely by a wide margin." Kyle commented.

"It would be unwise to not doubt yourself, to not yearn to improve. You're doing the right things to increase your chance of victory. But now you should not fear defeat," Alex attempted to encourage Drew further.

Drew sighed.

"Yes, but _many_ have trained to their _utmost_ potential against this guy, and every single one has come up short.. What makes me so special?.." There was a bit of a pause, before he continued. "Could I be the one to beat him? Maybe. Anything is possible. Do I feel confident?" He shook his head once again. "I don't.. I'm trying my hardest, but I've _seen_ every single one of his fights.. All the top tier guys he's faced.. Guys who have trained their _whole_ life in fighting.. He _dismantled_ them all.."

"You don't need to be special. All you need is a greater will to win than he does. He is fighting for pride, and that could make him desperate," Alex responded while placing a hand on Drew's shoulder.

Kyle nodded. "Like Thrawn said, you just need to know his weakness and exploit it. Have a plan."

Drew nodded, clutching his stomach a bit as he took a deep breath.

"Thanks, guys.. I'll keep all of that in mind.. I'll- I'll _need_ it.." There was some more silence, before he added. "The _weight_ cut has been brutal as well.. I had to get down from like _240_ pounds, _all_ the way to _205_.."

He lifted up his shirt for a brief moment, to show how much he had lost. The muscle was still evidently there, and his abs were more defined. However, he wasn't _nearly_ as bulky as he was before.. He was close to dehydrated, and looked rather _drained_..

Jack cocked a brow. "Dude, you need to eat or drink _something_. That can't be healthy."

"Well.." Drew chuckled. "Welcome to UFC.. It's weight cutting. Guys have to do this all the time." He shook his head. "I don't have a _choice_.. Jones wants me to fight in his weight class, so I have to cut _down_.. I can't eat or drink _until_ I weigh in tomorrow.." He then coughed rather roughly after that, which showed that the weight cut was certainly taking a toll on him.

Jack sighed a bit, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince Drew about this. And it was _Drew's_ choice after all. He wasn't here to force feed him or anything.

Bebe put a hand on Drew's back as he coughed as a show of general support, though her face contained that of extreme worry. Her expression hardened a bit, and she said,

"After you weigh in, you're _eating_ something, though.. Because after that, weight won't matter."

Drew took another breath, recovering from his cough fit, before nodding.

"You're right.. I'll need to regain as much energy as I can, afterwards.." He then smirked and added, "What would I _do_ without you?.."

Bebe couldn't help but smirk as well, rolling her eyes.

"You'd probably be dead.." She joked. This caused Drew to simply shrug, and respond jokingly as well,

"You're probably right.."

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"Guys?" Jack asked. He seemed a bit, puzzled based on the way he asked that. The group was still at the park, and had sat down at one of the tables. Jack had just gotten a text from Caesarius and…

"Yeah?.." Drew questioned in a more dull manner than he usually would. This was simply because of how he was feeling physically right now, though he still had his full attention set on Jack, as did everyone else.

"Well, here, let me read the text," Jack said.

"Caesarius said, 'we developed the long range scanner as you requested, and while it works, as it shows the life on two other worlds in a ten light year radius, it...shows _nothing_ beyond that. Just empty space. We even detected a strange energy field that makes a sphere around Earth. It seems everything within the radius is really there, but everything outside is...an illusion.'"

Kyle cocked a brow. "But...we have telescopes like Hubble that showed us the universe? I mean, is he saying that _all_ of that is an illusion or something?"

Jack shrugged. "Apparently so...Remind me to check up on this later."

Bebe shook her head,

"Do you think this supposed 'illusion' is a new occurrence? Or one that has been around since forever?"

Jack stroked his chin in thought. "I...honestly don't know. However, just because we haven't detected it before doesn't mean it hasn't been there before, but...it _does_ mean that everything we know about this universe may be _wrong_. Though with the Replicators and anomalies, you probably all knew that."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's _because_ of these Replicators and anomalies, that this is all happening.." Drew seriously stated. "I mean.. Kyle becoming a woman? Kenny told me you found a _crocodile_ come from seemingly nowhere in the park one day.. Even _blessings_ like your children.. They're _all_ probably responsible for such radical change in our universe, and general existence.."

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm inclined to agree on that. Something _is_ going on. Something we don't understand, and something we _need_ to understand if we are to have any chance of controlling or even stopping."

"Whatever it is," Drew began very firmly. "we need to shut it _down_.. Before something random, and out of our control happens that jeopardizes the entire world and it's population.."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "We should be ready for anything."

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Caesarius stood at the newly created Command Center of the United Terran Empire. It was a building intended to coordinate what was going on Earth. They had the ability to communicate with virtually every ship, plane, base and city on Earth.

"Sir?" A technician asked. "You might want to see this,"

Caesarius turned, and walked over. "What is it Lieutenant?"

"Well, it's about South Park High School.."

Caesarius cocked a brow, before he realized, the School, it was _gone._

It was replaced by…

A seemingly ancient Oriental style _temple_.. Or rather, it was a large _campus_ that _contained_ a temple..

The high school.. It was _nowhere_ to be seen! Instead, this new and _bizarre_ location stood in its place..

It was as if it had been there for _years_..

"Sir!" Another technician yelled. "We're getting something else!"

This was followed by several technicians reporting that _something_ had changed in the town. Several buildings had been flat out _replaced_ by...whatever these were.

"Calm _down_!" Caesarius finally ordered. "I will inform the Emperors of this, and we'll figure this out."

They all nodded, trying to calm down, before one more technician gasped once more, unable to control himself..

"The observatory.." He muttered. "It's been replaced by- by.."

He was silent for a bit, before he tried getting his words out.

"Another temple.. _Giant_! It must be _thousands_ of feet tall! And on the summit of said building is.." Yet more silence reigned. " _Lightning_.. Lightning striking its _surface_! But yet it remains unphased.. And not a _cloud_ in the sky!"

Caesarius took a deep breath. "I want those buildings surrounded by barricades! Keep civilians out of them. We have no idea what's going on. Inform the Emperors of this. _Now_!"

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" _WHAT_ happened?!" Jack yelled on the communicator. "Are you _serious_?!"

This caught Drew, Bebe, and Kyle by surprise, as they widened their eyes. They simply remained silent, and waited for Jack to get all the information from whoever was calling, before asking any questions.

"Alright, we're on it." Jack replied. "Whatever you have to do, keep those people _safe_!" He added.

With that, he hung up on the call. "Something happened. These buildings just... _appeared_. We need to investigate them." Jack finally said.

" _Buildings_?.." Bebe asked with both concern and confusion. "What do you-"

Jack's eyes widened, and he whirled around, activating his lightsaber, and holding it at the ready, looking in the direction of…

What the hell was _that_!?

A hideous, monster looking creature, who stood at _well_ over 6 feet tall, gave a beast-like growl that told he wanted _blood_..

The creature's skin was tan in color, and he had on a white, sleeveless shirt with black pants. The most _noticeable_ and notable of his features, however, was that he had almost _orange_ eyes that resembled closely to a reptiles'.

Beyond _that_ , he had _long_ , _sharp_ teeth that made themselves presentable and threatening, no matter if his mouth was closed or _not_.. On the creature's wrists, were _two_ blades, that were almost _naturally_ within his skin.. They were at _least_ over a foot long, and were as sharp as could be!

One good slice with those, and it would carve human flesh with _ease_..

Jack readied his lightsaber, totally focused on this creature. Kyle activated her own lightsaber, and took up a position at a halfway point between Jack and Drew and Bebe.

Drew widened his eyes, having _no_ other weapon besides his own two _fists_.. Bebe had never really _had_ to fight before, so she was at a _major_ disadvantage..

"Get behind me!" Drew told Bebe, who didn't hesitate one bit. She was _not_ taking her chances against this _thing_..

"RAHHH!" The creature roared, almost in a war cry, before it charged towards the group, its blades unsheathed and ready to kill..

Jack held his ground, and managed to block the first strike. Sparks flew all about, and the creature then resorted to going _under_ the lightsaber and stabbing towards the gut.

Jack managed to twist his lightsaber down to parry it, and retreated back a bit. He had been _this_ close to getting stabbed.

Kyle took up a position beside Jack, and almost immediately, Jack started to get _nervous_. This was Kyle's first battle, and he was _not_ happy about this idea at _all_! Still, now was _not_ the time.

The creature saw Jack as too formidable an opponent at the moment, and instead set his sights on the more 'defenseless' and 'weak' opponents _first_..

It's otherworldly eyes _immediately_ locked with Bebe's.. And with that, it charges forward.

"AHHH!" Bebe screamed, as it ran at them with an almost _unnatural_ speed.

Drew's eyes widened in _fear_ , but he held his fists up, ready to protect her..

The creature swiped his blades at Drew's neck, but he ducked under the strikes, and landed a solid punch into his gut, sending him backwards.

"RAHHH!" The creature roared again. This time he was _not_ happy.. He was _pissed_..

It charged at Drew once again, but instead of swiping its blades at him, it instead rubbed the blades _together_ so fast, that it shot a _spark_ at Drew!

He was barely able to react, as it hit him in the midsection, and sent him to the ground.

"DREW!" Bebe yelled. Completely unable to do anything.

The creature _pounced_ on top of Drew, preparing to sink its razor sharp teeth into his neck! Drew was able to hold him back, but his strength was _quickly_ deteriorating.. The weight cut had drained his strength and energy, _badly_..

The creature was pushed off of Drew by a force push from Kyle, who leapt forward and began sending a series of vicious strikes against the creature. However, she miscalculated, and that was all it took.

The creature saw an opportunity, and with one swift strike, _cut_ her arm off and kicked her to the ground beside Drew. Blood began to _flow_ like a river from Kyle's left arm stub.. If left untreated for too long, she would surely bleed out!

The creature shot _another_ spark at a shivering and wide eyed Bebe, who was easily sent to the ground by the _devastating_ and burning projectile..

Three were down.. And only _one_ currently remained standing..

At that moment, the creature was met with a full torrent of force lightning. The electric caused its entire body to shake, before it fell to the ground on its back.

Jack hesitated. He was _not_ going to risk anything by dropping his guard. He walked forward slowly, his lightsaber at the ready.

When he finally approached and stood above the creature, its eyes were shut, and its body was completely motionless..

Jack raised his lightsaber to deal the final blow. He was ready for anything however.

Almost in an instant, the creature's eyes _snapped_ open, and used its legs to sweep Jack's legs, tripping him to the ground as it shot up to its feet, blades bared.

Jack barely managed to block the stab downwards, but he was trapped. The creature began to slowly push his lightsaber blade closer to the ground, to his neck…

Jack used the force to try and augment his strength, but it was _abundantly_ clear he was outmatched.

Saliva dripped _down_ from the creature's razor sharp teeth, and onto Jack's face. Their faces were only _inches_ apart at this point, and whenever it wanted, it could bite into his neck, and finish him off.

But it was clear by all the trouble Jack gave him, that he wanted _him_ to suffer..

The lightsaber was now inches away from Jack's neck, and it was only getting closer.. His strength could not hold up too much longer..

When all seemed lost, something _unexpected_ happened..

Even _more_ lightning shot out, and electrocuted the creature. But it wasn't Jack's own.. No. This was from somebody _else_!

"ARGHHH!" The creature howled in pain, as the electricity continued to surge through its body. After what seemed like several seconds, the lightning stopped, and the creature fell backwards onto the ground, completely unconscious now..

Jack took a moment to realize what had just happened. After getting over his shock, he stood up, and raised his lightsaber just in case this newcomer was a threat.

Upon turning around, Jack saw a total of _5_ individuals walking forward and in his direction.

One was an Oriental male, dressed in red and black pants, a red headband, and was shirtless. He also had long, black hair that reached his shoulders.

Another was yet _another_ Oriental male. This man was dressed in _blue_ pants, with a black, sleeveless shirt on. Most notably, he had shorter black hair, with a black hat on his head.

The third one simply looked like a _movie_ star.. He was shirtless as well, and had a tattoo on his chest that said 'Johnny'. He also had sunglasses on his face, with a smirk as well, that showed he was full of confidence.

The next person was actually a _woman_. She was dressed in military-like attire, and had dog tags around her neck, with a badge attached to her top. She had blonde hair, and looked like she meant business.

Last but not least, there was yet another male.. This one was the odd one out of the group, as he stood at a towering _7_ feet tall! He had no pupils in his eyes; instead they were _pure_ white. He was dressed in pure white ancient Oriental clothing, with a blue cloth running down it. On his head, he wore what resembled a rice hat. Lightning was surging from his hands, which indicated that _he_ was the one who took out that creature..

Jack looked between them, before finally saying.

"Thank you.."

The group looked at Jack, before finally looking at his wounded friends on the ground. All except for the big man who possessed lightning, all rushed forward to help them.

Jack was about to say something, before the lightning man said,

"You are _lucky_ to be alive.. Each one of you." He looked down at the creature, still unconscious. "That man who attacked you was Tarkatan.. He was _born_ with those blades, and the deadly features that come with them.. His name is Baraka, General and leader of the Tarkatan race..."

Jack cocked a brow, before crossing his arms. "I've faced deadly enemies, and he was the worst..."

The man nodded, before looking down. Out of nowhere, he moaned in pain, holding his head. However, it wasn't just any pain.. It was as if he was _seeing_ something..

Jack was about to intervene, before the man snapped out of it.

"And I fear you are _only_ going to face _much_ worse! All of _Earthrealm_ is in _grave_ peril!"

Jack sighed. "Of course it is..."

He then asked. "Who is it we need to fight?"

The man looked Jack dead in the eye and told him,

"Shao Kahn and his Outworld servants.. I have envisioned _all_ of Earthrealm being the _battleground_ for Armageddon! All warriors from _all_ the realms, in one giant battle to the _death_.." He then looked down. "Shao Kahn was the victor.. He killed _everyone_.. _Destroyed_ all things.. I was the last one standing before _I_ was defeated as well.."

More silence reigned, before he finished,

"Before I died, I remember saying _three_ words.. 'He _must_ win'.. I believe that is the _key_ to defeating Shao Kahn, and _saving_ all the realms! But I have _yet_ to determine who 'he' is.."

Jack looked down. "I don't know either, but from what you say...we _need_ to be ready for anything..."

He looked up. "Who is this guy? Shao Kahn?"

The man, who had electricity flowing through his body now, simply replied,

"He is the Emperor of a realm called Outworld.. For _thousands_ of years, he has ruled it with an iron, yet tyrannic _fist_.. Years ago, he once invaded the realm of Edenia, home to Queen Sindel and King Jerrod.. It was a peaceful land, until Shao Kahn invaded and _merged_ it with Outworld.. He killed the King, and took the _Queen_ as his wife.. Their daughter, Kitana, as his own daughter.."

There was bit of silence, before he continued the explanation,

"Queen Sindel committed suicide _long_ ago, not able to live that way anymore.. However, it is because of _her_ that Earthrealm has yet to be invaded by Shao Kahn! The Elder Gods, per her pleas, granted that in order for Shao Kahn to have _any_ chance of invading Earthrealm, Outworld would first have to win _10_ consecutive tournaments in a row. A fighting tournament, known as Mortal Kombat.."

The man sighed, looking down,

"Outworld has won 9.."

Jack stroked his chin. "Whether he wins a tenth or not, he'll find that we won't bow to him, regardless of his win. We'll fight him for every inch of ground he tries to take."

The man shook his head.

"You can try.. But if Earthrealm _loses_ this tenth tournament, the Elder Gods can _no_ longer have any involvement in what Shao Kahn does.. Their forces will be formidable! He will be almost _unstoppable_.."

Jack looked down. "We will do what we can to prevent a loss. But regardless..." He said this with determination. "We _won't_ give up. He'll find that we will be as ready as we can. But...we _will_ try to prevent it from coming to that..."

The man looked at Jack gratefully.

"I'm glad you are willing to join Earthrealm's cause.. The tournament is quickly approaching.. Each one takes place each 500 years.. If they win this time, Earthrealm will be in _serious_ peril. If we can win, Outworld will be one step closer to losing access to invasion."

The man looked over at the wounded, who were helped to their feet and were being supported by the rest of his group.

"Your name.. You are Jack Anderson, correct? You are _Emperor_ of this land.."

Jack turned, and nodded. "Yes..."

"I have noticed that our realities have both merged into _one_.. The Wu Shi Academy has been moved to the center of this village.. South Park, if I'm not mistaken? As well as my temple.. It seems to have replaced an observatory of some sort.."

"So that's what has happened..." Jack mused. "Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" He then asked, genuinely thankful for them saving his life, and that of his friends.

As if on cue, the rest of the group approached Jack, keeping his friends standing on their feet.

"I am Lord Raiden.." The giant man with the lightning answered Jack. "Thunder god, and protector of Earthrealm.."

Raiden then motioned towards the man in red.

"This is Liu Kang. He is perhaps Earthrealm's most disciplined and worthy defender.."

Liu Kang looked at Jack, and gave a respectful bow.

Raiden then motioned to the guy in the razor sharp hat.

"This is Kung Lao.. Descendant of the _great_ Kung Lao.. He too is one of Earthrealm's most worthy defenders, as is everyone in this group. Don't let his hat fool you.. It's so sharp, it will tear right through anything it goes through."

Kung Lao then took off his hat, throwing it in the distance. It made a growling noise, that just made you _know_ that it was sharp! Like a boomerang, the hat came back, and was magically transported back on his head.

Raiden motioned to the movie star guy in the sunglasses.

"This is Johnny Cage.. While a bit of an overconfident and annoying character-"

"Hey!" Johnny Cage exclaimed.

Raiden then continued. "-he is a true hero, and a great asset in Earthrealm's defense against Outworld.."

Finally, Raiden motioned to the blonde woman, who was supporting Bebe.

"Finally, this is Lieutenant Sonya Blade.. She is with the Earthrealm Special Forces.. Sonya is military, and her experience and skill set is what we need as well, in our efforts towards defeating Shao Kahn.."

Jack cocked a brow. "I've...come across mention of that name before. From one of the best Special Forces Units on Earth, pleasure to meet you." He saluted her.

Sonya gave a salute in return, before Johnny Cage commented,

"What, so he acknowledges the girl but not us? Pftt.. Typical.. Can't say I _blame_ him, though.."

Jack shrugged. "I served in World War III as commanding general of the allied armies, so I tend to give my respect to military people."

Sonya simply rolled her eyes, and told Jack,

"Don't mind him.. It's just in his nature." She then smirked a bit. "As Raiden said, annoying.."

"Will you cut that out? I am _not_ annoying!" Johnny Cage said.

"Yes you are.." Kung Lao muttered. This in turn caused him and Liu Kang to laugh, Johnny Cage crossing his arms with a huff.

Jack chuckled slightly. "Well, welcome to South Park. Again, you have my thanks for your aid in this..."

He looked down, realizing just _how_ close he had come to death. This was perhaps the _closest_ he was to actually dying…

That fact alone unsettled him. Plus, there was the fact he had failed to protect the ones he loved. By this point, medics had arrived to assist his friends, but still…

Raiden approached the medics, and motioned for them to halt. He eyed Kyle, whose _arm_ had been severed! It was _still_ bleeding immensely..

"Your friend is in mortal danger.. She has but _minutes_ to live.."

Jack rushed towards her. He readied to pull out a replicator to heal her arm, but Raiden held up his hands, and began to shoot some sort of lightning from them, which emitted a bright light. What this was, Jack did _not_ know!

Jack was about to protest, but then the light blinded everyone momentarily, before it finally went out.. Looking at Kyle now, while her arm could not be recovered, the bleeding had _completely_ stopped! And _all_ wounds were completely healed..

Jack's eyes widened, and he looked at Raiden in surprise. Despite his shock, he still smiled. "Thank you..."

Kyle looked down sadly. She...was _still_ a damsel in distress who needed to be saved it seemed…

Raiden sensed this right away, as did a still _very_ dehydrated and _exhausted_ Drew.. He was currently drinking some water to help that out.

At that moment, Raiden then got an idea!

"You may not have won this fight, but I still see _great_ potential in _all_ of you.. Each one of you has the potential to fight, to defend, and to _save_.. Though right now you may not fully believe or _know_ what you are truly capable of.."

Kyle and Bebe _especially_ paid attention now. Could they _really_ have potential like Raiden was saying? They _couldn't_.. Could they?...

"Will you join us in Earthrealm's aid?" Raiden asked everyone in Jack's group. "We will need all the capable warriors we can get in this tournament.. To _deny_ Shao Kahn's plans of invasion after their planned victory.."

Jack nodded firmly. "As I said, we won't roll over to _any_ tyrant."

"I'm in too.." Drew said with a determined grin. "If Earth is _truly_ in this much danger like you say, then I'll do _anything_ to defend it.."

"Me _too_!" Bebe exclaimed. This caused Drew to widen his eyes and look at her with uncertainty. "I mean.. I don't _know_ how to fight, but.. I could always _learn_ , at least a little bit. Just enough to give a solid effort.."

Raiden nodded.

"And you shall receive just that.." He looked among everyone. " _All_ of you.. You will train at the Wu Shi Academy.. Liu Kang and Kung Lao have been training in the art of kombat their whole lives there.. They can get all of you started."

Raiden then shrugged a bit.

"Or if you prefer, you could always train in your own, unorthodox way.. So long as you are prepared to fight elite warriors in this tournament.. Baraka? He will be the _least_ of your concerns.."

Kyle cocked a brow. "What... _how_ much worse can they _get_?"

" _Much_ worse.." Liu Kang told Kyle. "I feel as though I am prepared to face this challenge, but Baraka is the least of my worries.. The ones _I_ worry about are Goro and Shang Tsung.."

Jack nodded in understanding. "What are the rules of this tournament?"

"An Earthrealm warrior will face an Outworld warrior in a solo, melee fight.. If you lose the fight, you are eliminated from the tournament.. They have the opportunity to _kill_ you, should you lose.. Just as you do, them.." Raiden began. "If all the Outworld opposition is defeated, and an Earthrealmer remains in the tournament, they are to be sent down to Goro's _Lair_.."

Raiden looked down, before continuing,

"The last one to face Goro, and advance that far in the tournament, was the Great Kung Lao.. Kung Lao's ancestor." Raiden motioned to the one in question. "However, it ended with Goro ripping him limb from limb.. He died a _gruesome_ death.."

Silence reigned, as Kung Lao shut his eyes and hung his head down, in honor of his ancestor. Liu Kang put a hand on his shoulder, to comfort him.

"If an Earthrealm warrior is able to _defeat_ Goro in his lair, he or she is to face one _final_ challenge.. Shang Tsung.." Raiden now looked up. "If the Earthrealm warrior is able to best Shang Tsung.. Earthrealm wins.."

Raiden then motioned to himself.

"Since I am a god, and am not a mortal, unless directly challenged, I _cannot_ participate in this tournament.. Earthrealm's fate is in _your_ hands.."

Kyle paled slightly. "And...if we don't win?"

Raiden looked at the now _empty_ spot where Baraka used to lay, before giving a blunt, yet honest response,

"Then Earthrealm is doomed.."

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Kyle moved her new hand around. Much like Jack's, it resembled a real hand in virtually every way. But it was still a mechanical one. She was in the hospital, making sure her prosthetic worked worked.

She sighed under her breath.

She had been knighted as a Jedi, and yet her first fight had been a complete and total _failure_. She _knew_ she should have been ready for that strike, but she had left herself open. And she lost an arm because of it.

If it wasn't for those people, she would be dead now. She had _failed_. She had failed Jack. She had failed _herself_.

She threw her lightsaber to the ground in frustration and anger.

"Kyle?"

Kyle jumped, before looking to the side.

Jack was in the doorway.

She looked away, not saying a word. It had always been Jack saving her. She honestly couldn't remember a time she had truly rescued Jack.

Jack sat beside her, and wrapped an arm around her. This time, she pushed him away.

She immediately regretted that. When she looked into his eyes, she saw hurt in them. But also...understanding.

He sighed, and looked down. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't _anyone_ but that monster's fault." He said softly.

Kyle sighed. "No, if I didn't act stupid right there, then maybe Bebe and Drew wouldn't have gotten hurt. Maybe I still would have had an arm. Maybe I could have _stopped_ him _before_ those people arrived..."

Jack took a deep breath. "That may be true. But what's done is done. You did great. It was your first fight. You still have much to learn, just as I do. You showed more skill in your first fight then I did in mine."

Kyle cocked a brow. "But...you won."

"Against an untrained fat kid." Jack replied. "I lost an arm to Zillum. Just as you have to this monster."

He looked at her. "Kyle, I don't _want_ you to beat yourself up over this. I love you no matter _how_ skilled you are, how pretty you are, or whether you have boobs or not,"

He sighed. "I love you for _you_. And I would die for you. What happened today was _not_ your fault."

Kyle looked down. "I just want to be able to help. You can understand that right?"

Jack smiled. "Of course I can, babe. Of course I can."

He pulled her into a gentle hug. "Just...don't get yourself killed okay? I...don't know _what_ I'd do if I lost you..."

She leaned against his shoulder. "I just want to be able to protect my family."

"It seems that regardless of my gender, I have that same maternal instinct..."

Jack smiled. "A very understandable thing to want. And something I've always loved about you."

He then added. "The kids are getting out of school anyway. I think we should go pick them up."

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Jack parked the car by the side of the elementary school, while Kyle got out to wait for the kids. It didn't take long for Simba, Amelia, and Kylie to exit the building.

Kyle immediately noticed something was wrong. Amelia looked _devastated_ , while Kylie had her hand on her sister's shoulder. Simba followed along with them, with a sad look on his face.

As the kids got into the car, Jack looked to Kyle questioningly. He seemed to have noticed Amelia's expression as well.

Kyle frowned, and asked. "Amelia...are you okay sweetheart?"

Amelia looked away. "I..."

She hesitated. "I tried to talk to a boy I like, and...he called me a freak. Said...awful things about you and daddy and..."

There was a knock on the car door. It was Principal Victoria. She had been given her job as Elementary School Principal back after the construction of the High School.

Jack sighed. "I'll go talk to her."

As he got out, the Principal added. "Kylie too."

Kylie sighed and got out of the car, following a confused Jack to the office.

Kyle looked to Amelia. "What happened?" She asked gently.

Amelia hesitated, before she told the story.

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"She...what?" Jack asked.

Principal Victoria sighed. "She got into a fight with one of the boys here."

"I was protecting my sister." Kylie said softly.

"Regardless, she hurt him pretty badly. We have a zero tolerance policy for violence here."

Jack sighed. "What caused this?" He asked.

"That _jerk_ made Amelia cry. I tried to protect her, and one of his friends shoved me."

"That's not what Richard said." Principal Victoria said. "He told us you tried to go after Alec."

"He's lying!" Kylie yelled, before Jack put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. He looked at her sadly, before turning to the Principal. "Do you have any other proof of this?"

"Well..." Principal Victoria began.

Jack took a deep breath. "What is her punishment?"

"Three day suspension." Principal Victoria replied.

Jack nodded, before he got up. Kylie followed him, looking down sadly.

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"Oh, honey..." Kyle began. "It's not your fault."

Amelia had just told her the story. And…

Yeah, it was pretty bad.

She was most afraid that Kylie was going to hate her for this.

"But Kylie wouldn't have gotten in trouble if I didn't do anything stupid like that!" Amelia whimpered.

"Amelia, look at me." Kyle said softly. "We all love you just the same. Boys...can be jerks. So can girls. Kids in general can be jerks. Trust me, I know..."

She sighed. "The point is, is that we're _here_ for you. You can tell us anything. You know that right?"

Amelia nodded.

"Yeah, sis. And that jerk was lucky _I_ wasn't there! I would have-"

He stopped at the stern look Kyle gave him.

"Sorry mom."

He realized what he said. "Sorry, I-"

"It's okay." Kyle sighed. "Amelia, maybe when your dad and Kylie get back, we could go somewhere fun?"

Amelia brightened up on hearing that. "Really?"

Kyle smiled, and nodded. "Yes. Just us. As a family."

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Jack stopped as they left the school. He sighed, and turned to face Kylie, who refused to meet his gaze. He sat down on one knee so he was eye level with her.

"I believe you, sweetheart." He said.

She looked at him.

"I'm...not in trouble?"

Jack shook his head. "I would have done the same in your situation. Heck, I _have_."

Kylie blinked. "With mom-I mean dad?"

Jack nodded. "One thing I've learned is to stand up for your friends, your family, and yourself."

He put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. " _Never_ start a fight, but always finish it. Protect your sister and brother. If I get a call that said you beat a kid up for no reason, you will get in trouble. But if you're protecting your family or friends..."

He sighed. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Kylie began to follow. "Since you're on suspension, why don't we go do something fun?"

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Kylie sat down, and saw Amelia looking at her nervously. "I'm...sorry, sis." Amelia apologized.

"It's okay." Kylie replied. "No-one messes with my brother or sister."

Amelia smiled at that. "Mom said maybe we could do something fun!"

Jack and Kyle had to smile upon hearing that. "Any ideas where?" Jack asked.

Kyle shrugged. "I don't know...do you have any ideas."

Jack simply smiled.

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"Huh? What? Wasn't me!" Alex flinched slightly when his communicator went off, but when he saw that Jack was attempting to interact with him, he accepted the call.

"Hi Jack. What do you want? Listen, I'm sorry about what happened with Kyle and Drew and…" Alex was cut off.

"It's fine. I need to talk to you about an idea I had, and I needed your British intellect to prove it can work."

"You know I'm no good at being British, but whatever. I'll be there before you can say

Llanfair pwllgwyngyll gogery chwyrn drobwll llan tysilio gogo goch," Alex barely just got through that word without having a stroke, but somehow pronounced it in a manner that was coherent and resemblance of a native's.

Jack was silent for a bit on the other line. "Alex?"

"Yeah?" Alex smirked slightly.

"Shut the fuck up."

"'kay," he obeyed.

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When Alex got there, he saw Jack was looking at...a map of the solar system?

"Hey, man. You doing some stargazing? I should've fetched Brian Cox or Dara Ó Briain," he jested.

He then noticed that the solar system looked...off. The planets weren't revolving around the sun anymore, they just stood fixed in place, and it seemed a large number of moons had disappeared…

"Well, they could make more sense of what kind of mindfuckery is happening here," he added.

Jack nodded. "You know how we found out the whole illusion thing? Well it seems that our universe has finally settled on what form it likes. Basically...the only thing left is this solar system. That planet we visited a few months ago? Gone. Alpha Centauri? Gone. The Galaxy? Gone."

"Jesus fuck! Is there an explanation for the causes of this chain of events? Have the higher beings punished us for corrupting reality?" Alex questioned.

Jack shrugged. "No idea. But the point is, things have changed completely."

He took a deep breath. "That's not why I'm here, though."

"Oh? What did you want to speak about?" Alex asked.

"Let me show you this."

He pulled up a holographic display of a large, hexagonal metallic station that looked to be around 25 miles in size. However, it had a hollow interior with a metal floor.

"Goodness… what is it for?" Alex wondered aloud.

"It's actually a blueprint for something new. You actually gave me the idea."

"I did? Huh, never thought anyone took my ideas seriously. I was always surrounded by communists and neoliberals at school back home,"

Jack chuckled. "Well, in a way. Remember the Vibranium Ring you suggested?"

"Oh, yeah?" Alex nodded.

"Well, in addition to building that, I also decided that we're going to make artificial worlds. These stations are those worlds. We can use them to colonize space itself so if something happens to a planet, we still have these."

"That is… pretty cool," Alex understated.

Jack nodded. "Indeed."

"This is only the beginning. Things are going to get better for the world."

"I tell you, if Tony Blair had a Replicator in 1997, we'd have no need for any other party," Alex suggested unseriously.

Jack shrugged. "You and politics..."

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Alex was nervous.

He was petrified.

Cate was due to give birth to their twins any day now.

They had the equipment, items and facilities.

But what if all of this wasn't enough?

Cate would reassure him that his love would be enough.

She always said the right things at the right time. Alex believed that he didn't deserve her sometimes.

Alex was watching the TV, but he wasn't really absorbing whatever was on the TV. His thoughts extracted himself from the real world, but they came to an abrupt end when he heard Cate moan as she got out of bed. She was having a nap due to her weariness. The pregnancy had gone as expected, with no real issues. There was a concern as to whether Alex's heart condition was genetic, but tests proved that wasn't the case.

He wouldn't forgive himself if he had passed onto his children something that could kill them and they wouldn't be able to prevent it.

Alex stood up and walked into the kitchen before Cate could sit down. He always made her a cup of tea each and every time she woke up. It was routine at this point.

"Morning, love," Alex called through the doorway.

"It's 3 in the afternoon," Cate replied with a chuckle.

"Ah, I'm messing with ya," Alex laughed as he poured the boiling water into the mug with the teabag in it.

"Did you sleep well?" Alex asked, though he half-expected the tone of answer he got anyway.

"What do you think? It's not exactly comfortable to have two human beings grow inside you," she said.

"Good point," replied Alex as he poured in the milk and stirred the black liquid.

"Were they active?" Alex questioned.

"A little fidgety. They're in position now," Cate replied. Alex walked into the living room with Cate's tea. He kissed her on the forehead as he placed the mug on the costa on the coffee table situated between the large sofa, on which Cate was reclining, and the single-seat sofa. Alex sat back down and continued watching the TV.

"So, we're agreed on the names? Lucas and Matthew?" Cate asked.

"Yeah, they're nice names, me thinks," Cate replied. Alex smiled.

"You know, you've been awfully loyal to my will. Like, you don't really seem to want to do your own thing," Alex commented.

"Well, that's because we have so many common interests, my dear Alex," Cate replied with a smile.

Even like this, Alex thought that Cate's beauty and grace was beyond measure. Almost… angelic.

"Ooh, I need to stretch again," Cate rose from the sofa before standing on her toes and reached to the ceiling with her arms. Her body was heavy, so she struggled to extend her back.

Alex was suddenly feeling very cuddly, so he got up and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"I love you," he said, for perhaps the twentieth time that day, as he kissed her cheek.

Cate smiled. "I love you too. Are you after something?" she quickly changed her tone.

Alex shook his head. "I have all I could ever want."

Cate turned to kiss Alex directly on the lips, but before she could do that, she gasped.

"My waters!"

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"AAAARGH!" Cate's screams of pain and effort filled the room.

"Ahahow!" Alex yelped as his fist was crushed by Cate's grip.

"ALEX! Stop being a FUCKING BITCH! AAAAH!" Cate cried as she pushed again. This had been going on for about two hours.

"You're doing excellent, Cate, just keep on breathing and then PUSH!" the midwife ordered.

"UUUUUURGH!" Cate growled.

"The head is out! One more push, you can do it!"

"AAAAAARGH!"

The sound of a small, wailing voice replaced Cate's shrieks momentarily. Lucas Pearson was born. One of the nurses took the baby to the incubator.

Another hour passed before Cate was about to deliver her second child.

"I can't do this," she lamented. She was exhausted. Her entire body was numb in pain.

"Yes, you can! It will be over soon. You're coming ever closer to meeting Matthew. We can do this, just breathe!" Alex encouraged his fiance.

Cate did as was encouraged before she dealt the final push.

"UUUUUGHAAAAAGH!" she almost tore her throat to shreds, but suddenly, there was a brief silence before another small voice made itself known.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties, on the birth of your princes," the midwife said as she gave Lucas to Alex and a nurse gave Matthew to Cate.

"Aren't they the most beautiful little things you've seen, Alex?" Cate asked quietly. There was evidence of utter weariness in her voice and in her face.

"They certainly are," Alex whimpered as his lips quivered. "Our sons," he said quietly as tears induced by emotion and pride glazed his eyes.

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Jack walked alongside John Hammond, the head of the new Jurassic Park project. "So the park should be open in a month?" He asked.

Hammond nodded. "Yes indeed. We already have the first ten species planned."

Jack nodded. He had used the first of the worlds to start planning the new Jurassic Park.

He had been considering this idea for a while, but it had been delayed because of the recent problems.

"And your Rex? Is she adjusting to the new physiology?"

Jack nodded.

"The new dog sized dinosaur project is working. Rexy seems to be happy at least. That idea should work out well."

At that moment, he got a text. "Oh...sorry I gotta go, John. My best friend's kids were just born. I'll be back soon."

Hammond smiled. "Children really are a joy. I hope the Imperial Family enjoys this project. They are the target audience."

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"Oh! I can't wait to meet the babies!" Amelia said excitedly as Kyle led the kids to the hospital room.

"Yeah! I remember when you were a baby." Simba chuckled. "Human babies are adorable."

They walked into the hospital room, and were greeted by Alex, who was holding Lucas, while Cate was still in her bed, holding Matthew.

"Hey, everyone! I'm glad you could make it. I'd like you to meet Lucas Arthur Pearson and Matthew Callum Pearson," Alex said with a wide grin as he lowered his body for the children to see the elder twin.

"Aww! They're so cute!" Kylie cooed.

Simba smiled, and commented to Nala. "Reminds me of Mheetu, when he was born."

Nala nodded slightly. Her smile faltered a little, but she decided that this wasn't a moment for bad memories.

Kyle smiled slightly. "They're absolutely beautiful, guys. Reminds me of when we first got Amelia and Kenzi."

"Well, their beauty comes from Cate, I think," Alex chuckled. He looked behind to see Cate roll her eyes.

"Where's daddy?" Kylie asked, wondering where Jack was. He had said he was on his way when Kyle texted him, but…

At that moment, Jack walked in. "Sorry I'm late. Had something to discuss."

He smiled upon seeing the babies. "Congratulations! They're beautiful guys!"

"Thank you," Cate replied with a grateful smile.

Jack nodded. "I can't wait to spoil my nephews."

Both Alex and Cate laughed. "We better not engage in a 'spoiling competit ion'. They should be raised right, not lazily," Alex commented.

Kyle nodded.

Kylie, however, audibly groaned. "Aw man!"

It was obvious it was sarcasm though.

"Well, the set is complete, I guess. We all have our own children, and at such a young age! I'd like it if I'm not a grandparent by 35," Alex chuckled.

Jack chuckled. "That is likely."

"How are you doing, Kyle? I suppose it's a difficult and strange situation for you right now," Cate asked.

Kyle nodded. "Yes, it is...I...am kind of dreading getting my first period..."

"I hope it treats you well," Cate replied.

Kyle smiled. "Thanks..."

Jack stopped for a moment. "Alex...could I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"Uh, yeah. Uh, Cate, would you mind holding Lucas?" he asked. Cate nodded and was given Lucas before Alex met with Jack outside the room.

When they were out of earshot, Jack turned to Alex. "Who...who will be the heir when we pass on? We have eight potential heirs right now. I think we need a plan."

"I always thought it was going to be the firstborn, no matter who they were born from nor their gender," Alex replied.

Jack nodded.

"Well, perhaps we amend that a bit, because...y'know, we have two different species as kids. Perhaps...the first one we found?"

"Yeah, that sounds fair. Wasn't it Simba who we found first? He was a Prince anyway," Alex said.

Jack nodded. "And...well...I can't be the only one who can tell he has feelings for Nala right?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, Nala admitted to Cate and I that she liked him that way too," Alex responded with a smile.

Jack grinned. "Then what if they're the designated heirs?"

"I deem that fit," Alex concluded.

"Then it's settled. We should wait a little while though, so we can get Drew and Bebe's input, as well as figure out when to tell the two."

Alex nodded in agreement.

Jack then grinned. "And again, congratulations on the twins."

"Thank you. I tell you, I'm not exactly looking forward to the twilight interruptions," Alex sighed.

Jack shrugged. "Hey, if they mature like Amelia did, and Kenzi is currently, you shouldn't have to worry to much."

"True."

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It had been a few weeks since Lucas and Matthew were born. They had grown fast, and were now equivalent to around six years old biologically.

"Are they even mentally aware that their rate of growth is… well, more advanced than average?" Alex asked Cate. It was about five minutes after the alarm had sounded. It was 7:05 in the morning.

"I'm not sure. They speak, behave and interact with others as if they had the appropriate experience," Cate replied.

Before Alex could reply, there was a thumping sound, resembling the sound of two pairs of feet running.

"Mum! Dad!" Lucas cried as he opened the door, running into the modestly decorated room.

"It's time to get up!" Matthew ordered as the two boys climbed onto the bed and started to jump up and down.

"Ah! It's the bed police!" Alex exclaimed.

The boys giggled as they then got down onto their hands and knees to crawl over to hug their parents.

"Can we go to Uncle Jack's and Aunt Kyle's?" Matthew asked.

"Yes, but first, it's breakfast and then get changed into your day clothes," Cate conditioned.

The adults got out of bed, before Alex declared that who got their first could sit in the 'big chair', which the twins covered for their beloved and admired parents sat in. All the chairs were the same style and size, but for the sake of breaking the routine…

The twins then briskly walked to the dining table, and Alex was behind them by intention.

"Ah, you beat us! We'll have to settle for the kids chair," Alex chuckled.

Breakfast was served - cereal and toast with strawberry milkshake - and everyone changed into their desired clothing before setting off to Jack's place, which was just a couple of blocks away.

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After a few hours, Alex and Jack headed over to meet with Admiral Carandial, who was busy organizing the Grand Imperial Fleet, the first military formation of the new Empire. It was a large fleet, fielding dozens of larger vessels and hundreds of smaller ships. They were clustered around the giant _Imperatore_ , Carandial's personal _Executor_ -class Dreadnought.

"This reminds me of one of those .io games," Alex commented.

Jack chuckled. "Yes, I guess it does..."

As the pair's shuttle docked with the _Imperatore_ , the group was met with Admiral Carandial and a squad of troopers. The troopers stood at attention, while Carandial saluted as they disembarked.

"Admiral." Jack greeted with a grin.

"How comes the new fleet, Admiral?" Alex asked.

"It goes well." Carandial replied. "We now have a fully organized and battle-ready force. I have begun supervising the organization of Grant, Lee and Rommel's fleets. We will have four full sized fleets within the month."

"Excellent." Jack replied.

"What of the smaller squadrons assigned to high ranking commanders?" He then asked.

"They are nearly ready. I am considering speaking with Steve about attaching a fleet to the Avengers."

Alex nodded in understanding. "Far cry from the jeeps, tanks and planes of the 40s," he said.

Carandial chuckled. "Don't tell that to Rommel. He still has a tendency to rant about it..."

Jack was about to comment, before there was a sudden alarm sound.

"Ah, what now?" Alex asked with a hint of surprise and frustration.

Carandial motioned for them to follow him to the bridge, where they could get a better idea what was happening.

After getting there, they detected what looked like a _massive_ fleet had materialized near the Asteroid Field, now to the south of Earth. However, upon closer inspection, Carandial's eyes widened.

"Who's coming to kill us now?" Alex asked.

Carandial shook his head. "If they _are_ coming to kill us, they must be insane..."

He pulled up a picture. It showed that the fleet seemed to be made up almost _exclusively_ of civilian ships, and what warships they _did_ have all had something in common, they were battle-scarred, heavily damaged shadows of their former selves.

"I...know these ships, they look like a civilian convoy from Cyrannus, with a small escort of..." Carandial trailed off. "Ships from _all_ the civilizations of the Cluster. What could possibly cause such an exodus?"

"And what could cause the kind of damage that would warrant the biggest exodus I've seen since Southampton F.C. sold their best players season after season?" Alex asked.

Jack looked at Carandial. "Should...we contact them? If they are mostly civilian ships, then it is likely there are plenty of wounded aboard those vessels..."

Carandial nodded. "I agree, Emperor."

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The _Imperatore_ led a small group of _Liberator_ -class Star Destroyers to the Asteroid Field to make first contact. Aboard the massive Dreadnought, Jack, Alex, and Carandial waited with bated breath as they approached the refugee fleet.

As the _Imperatore_ halted, Carandial spoke to the comm channel. "Cyrandia vessels, this is Grand Admiral Carandial. Please respond."

There was a moment of silence, before the comm screen activated, and Carandial immediately did what Jack recognized what an Imperial salute.

The being on the other side of the screen resembled a Libertus or Basileus fairly closely, but was taller, with darker coloration, and more noticeable feathers jutting from his elongated skull.

"Grand Admiral Carandial..." The figure spoke, before looking at Jack and Alex.

"I see you found allies in this new reality?" He asked Carandial.

"Yes, my lord. They are gifted and capable beings who have followed your example." Carandial replied with deference.

"Greetings. I am Emperor Alex Pearson and this here is one of my co-Emperors, Jack Cutler Anderson. We welcome you to Earth as long as you bid us well," Alex introduced.

The figure nodded. "I am Emperor Tyromairon of the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus. Thank you for your kind words of welcome, though I wish we arrived under better circumstances."

"We can see your ships are in...bad shape." Jack commented. "We are willing to provide food, medical supplies and assistance if you wish."

Tyromairon nodded. "That would be much appreciated..."

He then added. "My colleagues and I would like to request a meeting aboard your flagship to discuss an agreement."

"I love icebreaking! Oh, and agreements, they're good too," Alex said.

There was dead silence for a moment. Carandial facepalmed, while Jack looked at Tyromairon with a look of 'I have no control over him.'

"Very well." Tyromairon replied. Before he left, he said calmly. "I like you."

With that, the transmission ended.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" Carandial said sarcastically to Alex.

"But a lovable one, at that," Alex responded hopefully, but got no response.

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 **A/N: I got permission to use Cyrannian and Dinoman82's creations. I do not own them.**

Jack, Alex, and Carandial stood in the hangar of the _Imperatore_ as a shuttle approached. As it landed in front of them, Jack looked to Alex. "Keep the humor to yourself this time. I don't want to have to explain to Earth why your jokes caused a war."

However, Jack said it in jest. He wasn't worried. Alex knew when _not_ to act like a complete psychotic nutball.

"Sir, yes sir," Alex saluted weakly.

The shuttle ramp extended, revealing Tyromairon, followed closely by several other aliens.

Carandial cocked a brow, but didn't comment. It seemed he wasn't expecting representatives of every nation in his galaxy to be here.

"Emperors." Tyromairon greeted with a curt nod. "On behalf of the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus and her allies, we thank you."

Jack nodded. "We try our best to help those in need."

Carandial motioned for the group to follow them. "The conference room is this way."

As they entered the meeting room, the aliens began to introduce themselves. In addition to Tyromairon of the Galactic Empire, there was also President Apollo of the New Cyrannian Republic and his Vice President Ramdard Ramthrace, Chancellor Taros Cassynder of the Confederacy of Free Planets, Primarch Voro Acetenus of the Unified Order of Cognarilos, and finally, an armored figure in black robes with an appearance resembling that of Darth Revan, who introduced himself as Lord Venatorius of the Phaedric Order.

As the group sat down, Tyromairon nodded to Apollo, who began to speak. "As you may have noticed, our ships are badly damaged, and we were forced to abandon our home in the face of a ruthless enemy. We recognize that we're in no position to ask to much, so for right now, we...request your protection. We will follow your laws and edicts, and in exchange, we want protection and a chance to rebuild. We have very few soldiers here, we're not here to start a war. We will help in any way we can with your Empire."

"To me, that is acceptable. However, may I ask who was your enemy? And is there a chance that they could come to Earth or any other Imperial territory?" Alex asked.

Apollo hesitated. "We have no idea how they arrived in our galaxy, so we cannot answer that question with any sense of certainty. What we _do_ know is that they were led by one...being. His name was Darkseid. Some of his followers included a Davy Jones, Darth Sidious, Zod and Thanos."

Jack froze at that. He had a _very_ strong feeling who these beings were…

Still, he couldn't let innocents die when they needed help. "We will terraform one of our planets for you. Within one month you will be allowed to travel the Empire with all the rights of Imperial Citizens." Jack finally said.

"In my minimal experience, I know that those individuals are dangerous, but we have allies who are capable of defending, and if necessary, _avenging_ Earth and her allies from those beings. 'Thanos' in particular is a… _familiar_ name," Alex said.

"Don't be so confident." Cassynder spoke cautiously. "They were capable of taking on a united galaxy full of powerful civilizations."

"Whatever _does_ occur," Apollo interjected. "We do thank you for protection. The Republic accepts these terms."

Jack nodded, and as the other factions voiced their agreements, they began to leave. However, Tyromairon and Apollo remained.

"I sense great power within you, Anderson. Within both of you." Tyromairon commented.

Jack cocked a brow, while Alex briefly and slightly smirked at the complement.

"For that reason, I believe you may be the key to helping me in my mission, though...I notice there is one missing from your company..."

He hesitated. "You three will go far, but you need discipline, and you need a teacher. For that reason, I will do what I can to teach you how to hone your skills."

"I'll need it. Without my suit, and if I'm unable to use my other powers, I am pretty useless in combat," Alex admitted.

Tyromairon nodded. "For now..."

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"Jack and Alex have been gone for awhile..." Kyle mused as she sat down at the park table with Bebe and Drew.

"They have.." Bebe observed with a nod.

"I wonder...I mean, he _did_ say they were going to inspect the fleet, but he said it would take less than an hour, it's been three." Kyle said. "I don't know, I keep getting this feeling that something's up."

"I wouldn't be surprised.." Drew sighed. "But hell.. How many times have I said that? That's all I _ever_ think these days.. I don't question it. I'm sure they're _fine_.. They always are."

Drew was being rather dismissive here, but not only because this was a repetitive thought process, but because the _press conference_ for his fight with Jon Jones was _today_! Just mere _hours_..

The fight was in Las Vegas, as was the press conference.. He still had time to train for the fight, but the press conference, as well as the mental warfare that came with it, would soon fall upon him full force!

Kyle was about to respond, when the sound of a shuttle approaching was heard. It landed at the new spaceport.

A few minutes later, Jack walked into view.

"Sorry...something came up..." Jack sighed.

Drew merely nodded, staring out in the distance, not saying a word. He had a noticeable aggressive look to his face, which was to mask his fear of actually going up against Jon Jones.

Was he scared of the man? _No_..

Was he scared of the myth _behind_ the man? _Absolutely_..

A single man, technically _undefeated_ in fighting, against _top_ guys who had trained their _whole_ lives in this sport; he shut most of them down with relative ease..

Would he be his next victim? Could he get lucky? Would he actually be good enough to _outclass_ Jones, even?..

Who knew..

The training with Mark Hunt and his training partners at the gym had helped _a lot_.. Drew's striking defense, as well as striking in _general_ , was greatly improved..

Even his wrestling and general grappling game was _greatly_ worked upon.. Besides the draining of the weight cut, and his loss of muscle, Drew felt perhaps the _most_ prepared for a fight he had _ever_ been!

But even still, his expression held that aggressive look to it, to mask any sort of fear he might be showing..

As Jack sat down, Kyle asked. "So what happened today?"

"Rescued a fleet of refugees.." Jack hesitated. "Drew, would you mind if I talked to you in private for a moment? There's something you _must_ know."

Drew sighed, obviously wanting to just relax and take his mind off shit for awhile.. But nonetheless, he stood up and walked with Jack away from Kyle and Bebe.

Jack looked at him. "The ones they were fleeing from...well..."

"They mentioned a Davy Jones, Darth Sidious, Zod and Thanos and...their leader, a guy they called Darkseid..."

Drew narrowed his eyes.

"Um.. 'Darkseid'?.." He questioned. Drew couldn't help but shake his head. "I swear, it's something new _every_ day.."

' _This group of villains.. Could they be the 'comrades' of Scarecrow that he was threatening to use against South Park?..'_ Drew thought to himself, almost _immediately_ beginning to get back into that 'detective' Batman mindset.

Jack took a deep breath. "What worries me is that they were the same villains who appeared in that vision..."

"Based on the track record of crazy shit that has happened in this town.. I would be worried too.." Drew responded.

Jack looked to a concerned Kyle and Bebe, and began to head back. "Just...worried..." Jack sighed as he sat back down.

Kyle frowned, but didn't respond. "Drew, are you still preparing for your fight?"

Drew nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah.. The press conference is _tonight_. That's where Jon's mental warfare bullshit comes into play.. Luckily, Thrawn has helped me in that regard." He then looked down. "But still, I- I can't help but be nervous about this whole thing.."

"And no one is blaming you for that.." Bebe responded softly. "But, babe.. All is _not_ lost.. He hasn't _won_ , and you haven't _lost_.. He's just a man, and you have a chance to _prove_ that.. Be the change. Be the _inspiration_.." She then smiled at the end. "I _know_ you can do it.."

Drew couldn't help but crack a grin of his own from that.

"Thanks, babe.." He responded. There was a bit of silence, before he added reflectively, "I can't _believe_ what's happening.. Press conference tonight, fight next week, and we get _married_ just shortly after.. It's gonna be a _crazy_ week!"

Bebe chuckled as well, before she gave him a quick kiss.

"But one I'm looking _forward_ to.."

Jack smiled slightly. "Trust me, there's nothing else like that in the world..."

Kyle smiled at that.

"Drew...perhaps a new ally could help you with the psychological problems you are having..." Jack asked.

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"Thanks, by the way, for agreeing to help me." Kyle said to Cate. "I kind of needed new clothes now anyway. I just don't really know _what_ to buy, plus, I just wanted to talk"

"Ah, don't mention it. I'm glad to help you, as you have helped me," Cate replied with a smile. "Though you do seem to be adjusting better to being a girl, as well as a mother," she chuckled slightly.

Kyle chuckled. "I find it ironic, considering I was always the more maternal of Jack and I. I guess the universe just decided to make it true biologically as well."

"Maybe so. Who knows what craziness is yet to come? Anyway, that's not what we're here for," Cate diverted the conversation.

Kyle nodded. "Indeed."

As they walked into the store, Kyle asked. "So how are Lucas and Matthew doing?"

"They're doing well, thanks. I'm not sure what I expected, but let's just say that we had it easier than 90% of parents. But yeah, Alex is proving his fears wrong. I mean, it's natural for any parent to be nervous, but I think he's doing a better job than even he expected," Cate reviewed Alex's performance as a parent.

Kyle smiled. "That's awesome! I can see you two really love those boys. They are lucky to have such amazing parents."

"Likewise for your children. Who says teens can't be good parents?" Cate laughed slightly.

Kyle laughed. "Well we have both the resources _and_ the desire to care for them. I would say we've dealt with more than many adults in their forties have..."

"Indeed." Cate nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes, Kyle had picked out a few outfits, and when she exited the fitting room with the first one, she asked. "How do I look?"

"You look, as my fiance would put it, 'bloody gorgeous'," Cate imitated Alex's accent.

Kyle laughed. "Thanks."

After getting the last outfits and paying for them, they exited the shop. "Hey, there's an arcade over there. Should we go get the kids?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, that would be fun. I haven't been to an arcade for years," Cate admitted.

Kyle cocked a brow. "I haven't for a while either, I think the kids will enjoy it though."

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"I must say, I prefer South Park to these larger cities..." Caesarius shrugged as he walked down the street with Jack and Alex.

"Eh, your speaking to a city boy! Nah, I'm shitting with ya, man. One needs balance to truly appreciate the opposites," Alex said.

Jack grinned. "I prefer the country, but I'm used to both..."

Caesarius cocked a brow. "Agreed."

They walked for a little while, before Caesarius asked. "What is Britain like, Alex? Any customs or anything I should know about?"

"Well, the first thing you need to know is that vehicles are driven on the left side of the road, and if you come across the London Underground, you should say nothing to other passengers apart from 'sorry' and 'thank you'," Alex replied. "Oh, and fish and chips are a must!" he added with a grin.

Caesarius nodded. "Thank you. I...needed some advice for something."

He hesitated a bit.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Well, as you no doubt remember, Britain was hit hard by the War," Caesarius said.

"Yeah, Plymouth, Liverpool, Sunderland and Glasgow all had to be replicated from scratch!" Alex remembered.

Caesarius nodded. "I put in a request to adopt an orphan of the war. Her name is Barbara."

"Oh, that's cool!" Alex exclaimed.

Jack nodded. "Very noble thing of you to do."

They kept walking for a little while, before they spotted something not to far away.

It looked like...a Clone Trooper, a Stormtrooper, a Stormtrooper with an orange plate on his shoulder and a rocket launcher, a Dark Trooper, a Clone Heavy Trooper, and a Scout Trooper.

"Who would have thought this is what hell would look like..." The Heavy Trooper said gruffly.

"Sir, for what I assume won't be the last time, this..." The Scout Trooper began, but stopped when he saw Jack, Alex and Caesarius.

"Admiral-gent, could you tell us where the nearest Imperial Base is?!" The Stormtrooper with the orange plate on his shoulder yelled in a _very_ over the top Scottish accent.

"Oh, no, it's the drunk Glaswegian unit," Alex sighed.

"Oi! I ain't drunk! Only when the safety's on!"

"Your safety's never on, Tefflin." The stormtrooper deadpanned.

 **A/N: Danson, Biff, Scout, Alpha-12, Rook, and Tefflin McBomb are from A Clone Apart.**

"Sorry, but we got hit by a space station's superlaser and got turned around." He added. "Please tell me the Galactic Empire is nowhere near here."

"'Nervous plea'," the Darktrooper said in a mechanical monotone voice, "Please tell me there's a rebel base nearby!"

Jack, Alex and Caesarius looked to each other in utter confusion.

"What's with the cape?" The clone trooper suddenly asked Caesarius in an unaturally high voice for a clone.

"Um… it's to demonstrate seniority. And did you have a botched thyroid surgery or what?" Alex questioned.

"What's a thyroid surgery?" The clone asked, before a person looked at the Darktrooper with a curious expression, before walking off.

The Darktrooper then raised his rifle.

"That _won't_ be necessary soldier." Jack said quickly. "Emperor Jack Anderson of the United Terran Empire. This is my co-Emperor and...sidekick Alex Pearson and Moff Deoclet Caesarius."

"S-sidekick?!" Alex exclaimed, almost offended, but Jack continued anyway.

"You're from the Galactic Empire?"

"Yes, my lieges." The Clone Heavy Trooper said as he bowed. "I am Commander Alpha-12! This is my Sergeant Percy Beta 266, and...my idiot sidekicks, Biff, Rook and Tefflin McBomb and...Danson..." He introduced the Scout Trooper, Stormtrooper, Dark Trooper and the Stormtrooper with the orange plate.

"McBomb? That is definitely a Glaswegian surname if I ever heard one," Alex whispered with a smirk.

"This place reminds me of Mos Eisley..." Danson commented, still distracted. "Smells like it too."

"So...you outrank us eh?" Biff asked them.

"Yes." Caesarius replied.

"May I request an immediate combat assignment?" Alpha-12 asked. "I want to get past my days of slavery at that bloody desk."

"I second that! I want to blow something up!" McBomb agreed.

"At last I can fight in a Rebel base! 'Hopeful request' May I?" Rook asked.

Jack looked to the others. Caesarius seemed...puzzled, while Alex, while holding his hands behind his back, engaging his stealth gauntlet that was made of nanobots hidden inside his watch, prepared for an act of hostility by the newcomers.

"Follow me to this shuttle. I could use a Special Forces team." Caesarius replied.

"Sir yes sir!" Alpha-12 said, saluting, and marching after Caesarius. Danson and Biff looked at each other, before following. "Finally! I get to shoot something again!" McBomb exclaimed happily, while he, Rook, and Scout took up the rear.

Jack looked at Alex. "Scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of personnel aren't we?" He asked.

"Well, if they prove themself to be qualified and competent, then it's our gain," Alex shrugged.

Jack sighed. "Just to be clear, that _wasn't_ an acid trip?"

"I don't know anymore. Everything since the start of the school year could have been one great big fuck-off acid trip," Alex sighed.

Jack laughed. "Best way to sum it up..."

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"Hey guys..." Jack greeted as he walked up to Drew and Bebe, who were preparing for the press conference which was in less than an hour.

"Hey, Jack.." Bebe said.

Drew was pacing back and forth taking some dedp breaths. The nerves he was feeling was through the _roof_ right about now.

"Can...can I talk to you guys about something...that's worrying me?" Jack asked.

Drew and Bebe both cocked a brow, Drew momentarily pausing his pacing.

"What?.." Drew questioned.

"Well...I think Kyle might be...getting sick or something."

"Sick?.." Bebe asked. "Sick how?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, she basically started craving some food today and has been having headaches, and maybe a bit of mood swings..."

Bebe looked at Drew with a knowing expression. Drew couldn't help but crack a grin, as did she. Bebe looked back at Jack and asked him,

"And you.. have _no_ idea what could be wrong with her?.."

Jack was about to respond, before his eyes widened. "Oh...you're _not_ saying..."

"I _am_ saying.." Bebe nodded.

Jack looked at them for a split second, before he smiled. "Well, I'm a complete idiot for not even _considering_ that possibility. But...still, I mean..."

He shook his head. "I...just...wow..."

"So.." Drew began. "What's gonna be the little one's name?.. Y'know.. Depending on the gender."

Jack thought for a moment. "Well, I was kind of thinking...maybe Jane if it's a girl or...I got no idea on a boy's name. Maybe Peter or Henry or something...Maybe Kyle will have a better name in mind..."

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The crowd of people murmured among themselves as Dana White stepped up to the microphone on the podium. On each side of him was a chair; a total of two. Within seconds, the two hyped fighters would be here for the press conference practically every UFC fan had been waiting for..

"Hello everyone.." Dana White introduced. "We're here for the press conference of Jon Jones VS Drew King for the Light Heavyweight belt.. Anyone that has any questions for me, Jon, or Drew, ask them.." He then stepped back a bit and finished,

"Okay.. Send them out!"

There were cheers from the crowd as Jon Jones and Drew each walked out up on the stage, and sat down in their chair. Right in front of them on the table, lay a microphone for answering questions.

Jon Jones looked over at Drew with a smirk, giving him a wink of what looked like arrogance. Drew simply rolled his eyes, and faced forward, awaiting any questions to be asked.

"Who has the first question?" Dana White asked.

A reporter from the crowd stood up and began,

"Uh, Jon? Over here." Once they all looked at him, he asked his question. "Jon, you _challenged_ Drew King, who had an impressive debut in Heavyweight, for your Light Heavyweight belt.. Why _is_ it that you challenged him, and what did you think of his performance against Mark Hunt?"

Jon Jones nodded and replied,

"Well first of all, I just wanna _thank_ everyone for coming out here tonight.. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today.. And also, I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing me this opportunity here tonight, as well.."

Drew shook his head. He had _seen_ it before.. He did this _all_ the time. It was the 'fake Christian nice guy' act.. It was how he gained support, and even sympathy after his many fuck ups.

"As for how Drew did in his debut.." Jon began, looking over at Drew. "I think he got _very_ lucky in that fight.. I think there were _many_ holes in his game, and he only beat a washed up fighter who I think _any_ capable man in that division could knock out if they wanted to.. It was pure luck. Plain and simple."

Kyle rolled her eyes at that comment. If that guy had actually seen the fight, he would know that Drew won through _skill_ and ability, which he _earned_ , unlike this prick who-

She stopped when she felt Jack put his hand on her shoulder. He had a look that said 'Calm down...'

She sighed, and went back to watching the press conference, not at all liking Jon Jones whatsoever. Jack had to grin at her annoyed attitude. He knew what was going on now, and he was kind of excited to be honest.

"And.. About you challenging him for your belt?" The reporter asked once more.

Jon Jones chuckled a bit, looking over at Drew.

"Just another hype train I wanna shut down.." Jon Jones responded arrogantly. "Um.. Obviously I know Drew has power, and I know he can get lucky in putting his strikes together, but I'm just simply _better_ than that.. And I _have_ been proving it for _years_.. There's not a _man_ on this Earth who can beat me, and you're gonna see that next Saturday night when I get my next title defense.."

"Oohh.." The crowd chanted, seeing that as a bit of a 'burn'. They were clearly biased towards Jon Jones, and it showed.

"And.. A question for _you_ now, Drew.." The same reporter said. "What are your _thoughts_ heading into this fight, and what makes _you_ think that you can be the one to defeat Jon Jones?.."

Drew picked up the mic as he looked over to his side. Jon Jones was simply looking at him with a grin, super arrogant and laid back. It was as if he thought it would be a walk in the park.

The caused Drew to scowl, and seriously answer,

"My thoughts heading into this? _My_ thoughts are that win or lose, this motherfucker is gonna piss hot!"

The crowd all gasped, and began to murmur about themselves. Jon Jones' face held that of a smirk, but it was a nervous one. As if he _knew_ what he was saying was true..

"Well, actually I hate to say, but-" Jon Jones began.

"Quiet, junkie! The champ is talking.." Drew countered.

"OOH!" The crowd all yelled. The energy in the place was unreal at that moment.

"You got some personality.." Jon Jones chuckled. "I like that.. You'd best enjoy this fifteen minutes of fame while you still got it, boy.."

"So anyways," Drew continued, completely ignoring his remark. "I think he's a steroid junkie, but that don't matter.. PED's or not, I'm gonna shut him down, and knock his ass out in round 1.."

With that, Drew slammed the mic down, and looked over at Jon once again. The hype was becoming real, and _everyone_ knew it.

Jack grinned at that. He knew Drew had it in him. He just needed to realize that his enemy was still a human, and humans could _always_ be beaten.

He would take this bastard down like Jack had defeated Cartman, quickly, and painfully.

"Next question?" Dana White asked with a grin. He already _knew_.. He _knew_ that this was gonna sell well, and for that, he was happy.

Another reporter stepped up, and began to ask _his_ question.

"So Jon," He began. "there are obviously _rumors_ of you taking steroids before this fight, and there are still trace amounts in your bloodstream.. Can you confirm on whether or not you think this will actually affect your performance? Despite what USADA says?"

Drew threw up his arms.

' _What a stupid question!'_ Drew thought in frustration. _'Of course he's gonna say it's NOT..'_

"To answer your question, no.. It was simply a mistake, and a tainted supplement in my system. It won't affect my fighting performance in any way, shape, or form.." He looked over at Drew once more. "Despite what some flukes have to say about me.. He's simply scared, and that's understandable.. He's just making excuses _ahead_ of time so that he won't lose all credibility after his loss."

Drew picked up the mic and fired a counter,

"The only one I see that's _scared_ is you! You won't even look me in the eye, bud! What kind of man is that?"

"Well.. In case you haven't noticed, I don't look _anybody_ in the eye.. There's no-"

"And why _is_ that?" Drew questioned. "Why _don't_ you? Is it because you know they'd _kick_ your lanky ass up and down the Octagon if you didn't have your juice? Is that it? Is it because you're reflecting on what a pussy you are? Get _real_.."

Drew slammed his mic down once again.

"We'll see, Drew.. We'll see. Calm down, there." Jon Jones said. "Sounds like _you're_ the one on steroids to me.. That roid rage is _really_ starting to seep out.."

Drew widened his eyes.

"Oh that's cute.. So you're accusing _me_ of abusing PED's now? Still doesn't change the fact that you're a scared little junkie who's gonna be crying to his momma come Saturday once I steal your belt.."

Drew shook his head.

"Hell, what else is there to even ask? We all know it's gonna be about Jones and his steroid bullshit.. Why even waste our time? I'll fight _right_ here, _right_ now, if I could! I'm _ready_.." He looked at Jones once again before finishing, "To be the one who proves that you're _just_ a man.."

With that, Drew was done. He out his mic down, and he walked off. Dana White and Jon Jones looked at each other, before Dana called out,

"Drew! The press conference isn't over yet! We still have _half_ an hour left!"

Drew stopped and faced Dana.

"I personally couldn't care either way.. You know it's gonna sell well, and besides, I'm not about to stick around for the 'Jon Jones Hour'.. I've said my piece, so I'm gone.."

" _Uh_ huh.." Jon Jones called out arrogantly." Uh huh, there he goes! You see that everybody? He couldn't handle the _pressure_! He's _scared_.. Where ya going, kid? Am I stressing you out too much?"

Drew rolled his eyes and tried walking off again. However, he stopped in his tracks when Jon Jones finished,

"It's a wonder that Hooter's waitress of a girlfriend of you have would even _stay_ with a pussy like you.."

Drew's eyes widened, and he shot his gaze over at him. He immediately stormed up to the stage, which caused Jon Jones to stand up.

Dana White tried holding Drew back, but he was pushed aside. Jon Jones threw the first punch, before Drew clocked him with one of his own. Security had to rush onto the stage to hold the two giant men apart from each other.

The punch had staggered Jon Jones, which for a _moment_ , left him with a _stunned_ expression! He had _felt_ the power behind it..

But even still, he regained that cocky expression of his after a bit. He gave Drew a smirk, before turning and walking away. Security still held Drew back, as he continued to struggle to get to him.

Once he realized it was in vain, and that he wouldn't get his chance, Drew took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Jack looked at the retreating figure of Jon Jones, before sighing. _This bastard deserves this._

With a single flick of his finger, he caused Jon Jones to accidentally slam into the side of the door by accident and almost trip. His expression held one of shock, as he didn't know what the hell had just happened, but he quickly regained himself and walked the rest of the way out.

Drew shoved the security off of him, before he turned and walked down towards the crowd. He made it to where Bebe, Jack, and Kyle were, but before they could say a word, he firmly said,

"We're leaving.. Let's get the fuck outta here, before I have an aneurysm.."

"You should have kicked his ass then and there." Kyle muttered uncharacteristically angrily.

"I _tried_.." Drew said. "Pushing through seven security guards isn't _exactly_ the easiest thing to do.."

"Drew? _Look_ at me.." Bebe said, putting her hand on his cheek softly, in an effort to calm him down. "He's _just_ trying to get to you through me.. _Don't_ let him win that mental battle.. He's trying to throw you off focus. Just stick to the plan, and kick his ass." She then grinned. "Just a man, right?.."

Drew took a deep breath, before giving a forced grin of his own and replying,

"Just a man.." His grin became a lot more genuine, before he continued, "You know I love you, right?.."

"As always.." Bebe rolled her eyes.

The pair gave each other a quick kiss, before Drew took a much deeper, yet calmer breath.

"Okay.. Let's leave." Drew said. "We have a week in Las Vegas before I have to fight this asshole.. Let's make the most of it."

As they left, Kyle stopped. "Ugh..." She groaned. She wasn't feeling too well again.

"You okay?" Jack asked her, though he knew what was going on.

"Sorry, just...haven't been feeling well lately..."

"Maybe...we should go to a doctor? Just to make sure nothing's wrong?" Jack said.

Drew detected a bit of excitement in Jack's voice. He could tell Jack wanted to know for sure.

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"Jack...I told you...I'm _fine_...I just have a headache is all."

"Look, just let me be a nervous husband for once, I just want to be safe."

Kyle frowned as Jack drove them to the nearest Hospital.

Jack focused on the road, avoiding her gaze. He knew what was going on. Hell, he could _feel_ the life force inside her.

"Jack, what is it?" Kyle asked, looking at Jack with a worried expression. She didn't like that her husband was like this. Something was clearly on his mind.

He didn't respond, and as they pulled into the parking spot, he looked at her. "I just...I love you, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Kyle sighed, and put her hand on his shoulder as he prepared to leave the car. "Jack, I'm _right_ here, you don't have to worry. I'll be _fine_!"

He looked at her, into those green eyes that had captured his heart. It felt so long ago. When he first met her, when she was still a boy. It was hard to believe, but it had only been five months…

And here he was, being a nervous father yet again…

He smiled a bit. "I know, I just...want to be sure. You can never be too careful."

After the initial tests were done, the couple waited in the office for the results. Soon, a doctor walked in, holding a piece of paper. "Your...friends, the other two empresses, became pregnant and gave birth very quickly, correct?"

Kyle cocked a brow, not quite knowing where this was going. She did have a bit of suspicions, but she didn't know for sure yet.

"Yes. But-"

"Well, miss Anderson, it seems that you have the same thing. It's only been a few weeks, but biologically, you're four months pregnant."

To actually _hear_ it aloud made it even more real, and he couldn't help begin to smile a bit.

"I'm... _pregnant_ …?"

He looked to an utterly thunderstruck Kyle. She had a completely shocked expression on her face.

Jack got up, and gently held her hand, smiling at her encouragingly, trying to tell her he was there for her.

"Yes. If you want, we can perform an Ultrasound, and we can show you. Heck, we should even be able to tell it's gender."

Jack looked at Kyle. "Babe, do you want to-"

"Yes." Kyle said quickly. "I...want to see my baby..."

As the doctor left, Kyle looked at Jack. "I...can't fucking believe this! I'm _pregnant_?!"

Jack chuckled, before Kyle rolled her eyes. "I...guess it might have been a bit more possible than I thought, considering, well..."

Her smile widened a bit. " _Four_ kids! Can you believe it? We're going to be raising _four_ beautiful children."

Jack kissed her gently, pressing his forehead to her's. "Any ideas on a name?"

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"I wonder where mom and daddy are..." Amelia thought. They were currently in the hotel room, waiting for their parents to return.

"They have been gone a while. Since the Conference..." Kylie observed. It was getting late…

"I'm sure they're fine." Simba commented stretching a bit. His mane was growing to the point that it covered much of his head, and his voice was deepening to sound more like his adult voice. "Our parents are no pushovers."

Kylie and Amelia grinned at that. They knew that well.

Amelia turned on the TV, and the group began to watch another SpongeBob rerun.

Simba sighed. "Oh, it's another of those newer episodes..."

"Yeah, they suck." Kylie agreed.

"Definitely." Amelia chimed in.

Amelia and Kylie were still roughly the same in terms of development; they hadn't grown nearly as fast as Simba. It seemed that once you reached a development equal to that of an eight year old, you matured normally.

The door opened, and Jack and Kyle walked in, looking happier than they had been in a while.

"Hey mom! Hey daddy!" Kylie greeted.

"Kids, we...have something to tell you." Kyle said with a smile.

That caught the kids' attention.

"Ooh! What is it?!" Amelia asked excitedly.

"Well..." Kyle looked at Jack.

"The thing is...how would you all feel about...having a baby brother?"

There was silence for a moment, before Simba asked, starting to smile. "You're..."

Kyle nodded. "Yes...I'm pregnant."

Amelia and Kylie screamed in excitement, and hugged Kyle happily.

"Oh! What will be his name?! When will we get a baby brother?! When-" Amelia began to ask.

"Soon, honey, don't worry." Jack cut in. "Now you all need to be careful, because we don't want to hurt your mom or your little brother."

"What's his name going to be?" Kylie asked.

"I...was thinking...Calvin?" Kyle suggested.

Jack smiled. "Perfect."

"Oh! I get a little brother! This is awesome!" Simba declared.

"I'm going to be the best big sister ever!" Amelia declared.

"No! I will!" Kylie exclaimed. With that, the sisters began to argue playfully.

Jack wrapped an arm around Kyle's shoulder, smiling, before Kyle winced a bit, before her eyes widened.

Jack looked at her. "Did it..."

"Yes, it kicked!"

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Alex and Cate were watching Lucas and Matthew playing tag with Nala at the local park. The human children found it difficult to catch the pacey and agile adolescent lioness, but the same couldn't be said for Nala.

"Nala, you need to give us a chance to run for at least… a minute," Matthew complained as the lioness pounced on him, pinning him against the grassy floor.

"Alright," Nala sighed.

Before the next round of tag could commence, Lucas cried when he saw a particular couple.

"Uncle Jack! Aunt Kyle!"

Alex and Cate turned to look at the entrance to the park, and there stood Jack and Kyle, waving at Lucas and Matthew. Behind them were there children, including Simba, who, upon seeing Nala, walked up to her and had their own private conversation.

"Hey, Jack," Alex greeted.

"Hello, Kyle," Cate smiled.

"Hey! Guys, we have great news!" Kyle said happily.

"Ooh, what is it?" Matthew asked excitedly.

"Yes, please do tell," Cate added.

"Well...I'm pregnant." Kyle said with a slight smile. "We're going to have a baby boy."

"Wow! A little baby boy cousin!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Not another boy…" Nala sighed.

"What...your little brothers getting on your nerves?" Simba teased.

"Just a little, but they're still cute, I guess. I love them, obviously, but they're not always completely… relatable," Nala chuckled.

"We're expecting him to be born sometime soon." Jack added. "Based on the previous hyper-pregnancies, most likely a month."

"Wait, how long is a normal pregnancy compared to a 'hyper-pregnancy'?" Lucas asked.

"Nine months," Alex replied. Lucas' jaw dropped.

"Nine months? What does the baby do in there for the extra six months?!" he asked half-rhetorically.

Kyle winced a bit, clutching her stomach. "He's kicking again..."

"Oh, Lucas and Matthew kicked every half hour, but anything that happened to me is probably going to be less worse by a factor of half," Cate commented.

Jack chuckled. "So how are you guys doing?"

"We're fine, thanks. The kids are beginning to slow down to normal growth, but they're doing very well in school," Alex reviewed.

"That's good." Kyle commented.

"It feels weird, since we've practically stopped going to High School..." Jack mused. "Running an Empire at 17...sounds like something you'd read in a biography of Albert Einstein or something..."

"Yeah. My hair isn't receding or turning grey yet, and I've only died once, so I think it could have gone worse," Alex said.

Jack sighed. "Don't tempt fate..."

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The next few days went by relatively fast. As the fight fast approached, Jack and Alex decided to give Drew time to prepare. He was nervous, but Jack decided it would be better to let him focus…

Cate was watching the kids while Jack, Alex and Kyle went to get some food. As they began to walk back, Jack received a communication.

"I swear they're watching us and picking the most inopportune moments to contact us," Alex complained.

Kyle nodded. "Agreed. Who is it this time?"

"Lord Emperor?"

It sounded almost like…

Alex realized who it was.

"What does Guy Henry want?" he asked.

"Tarkin?" Jack asked.

"I received a report from Oversector Pax'Cyran. Our new citizens are integrating well, according to Apollo. However, they report a bit of a problem..."

"What is it?" Kyle asked.

"Reports of unidentified ships. A diplomatic convoy is heading to meet them now. Caesarius insisted I inform you of this matter."

"Um… okay, I guess?" Alex shrugged, slightly annoyed that this was what they were interrupted by.

As the group headed back, Jack couldn't help but worry… that something was about to happen…

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Drew, Bebe, Jack, Kyle, Alex, Cate, their children, as well as Mark Hunt and the rest of his team who would be in Drew's corner tonight, were all walking down the hallway of the T-Mobile Arena and towards his reserved room.

Cameras were all pointed on them, as it was required for them to film the arrival of all the fighters and their teams.

Finally, they arrived to a door that said 'Drew King'. Mark Hunt opened the door, and allowed everyone to step inside before stepping in himself..

The anticipation and build up for the fight was beginning to draw nearer and _nearer_ to a close..

"Ya ready for the big fight tonight, mate?.." Mark Hunt asked Drew as he put punching pads on his hands.

Drew took a deep breath, and simply nodded.

"I'm ready.. Jon _really_ thinks this is gonna be a cakewalk, but tonight, I'm _here_ to show him that it's _not_.." Drew responded.

Alexander Gustafsson, who had taken Jon Jones to his limit in their first fight, was among those who helped him train for this fight. He taught him the insides and out of boxing, and taught him to use his distance way better.

Alexander looked at Drew, and told him,

"You have done very well this camp.. Sparring with you has been an honor. You can throw a hell of a left hook, so try to utilize that in the fight, should you find a sufficient opening.."

Drew put on his fighting gloves, and stood in front of Mark Hunt, who held the punching pads up for him to practice his strikes on. Drew turned to Alexander and gave a thankful grin.

"Thanks, Gus.." He said. "I'll definitely try and remember that."

With that, Drew began going through some basic practice combinations with Mark Hunt, as everyone else sat in the room either watching him, or conversing among themselves.

"Well done, Drew." A familiar voice spoke.

Drew turned to see Thrawn had joined the group, smiling slightly.

Drew gave a smile, as well as a respectful bow, saying,

"Thrawn.. It's good to see you here! I was wondering when you might show up."

"I was running late...I look forward to seeing your performance in the coming fight." Thrawn replied.

"Thanks.. You've helped me improve a lot as far as the mental aspect goes, and even a bit physically. Fighting those droids has definitely made my stamina _way_ better than it would've been.." Drew chuckled at the end, continuing to punch the pads.

"I can see that. Best of luck, my friend. Just remember your training."

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The roaring of the crowd was evident the closer he got to the walkway. Within seconds, his music would play, and he would walk down to the cage once again.. This time with a championship _belt_ up for grabs! A fight with the _unbeaten_ Jon Jones..

"You ready, babe?" Bebe asked Drew, looking up at him with a smile.

Drew looked down with a bit of a smirk and replied,

"I'm ready.. I'm here to prove to the world that Jones isn't the myth everyone makes him out to be.."

"You got this Drew! We all believe in you!" Kyle declared.

"Thanks, Kyle.." Drew said. "You guys _do_ know you all get to be in my corner, right?"

"Yes, and we can't wait to see you kick this prick's ass!" Jack responded.

"Just remember that it is possible to defeat him. Prove that you want it more than he does," Alex said.

"Listen to Alex, you got this!" Jack agreed.

With that, Drew's song began to play. Once again, it was 'Give It Away' by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was more of an ironic song to mess with his haters than anything.

As expected, the crowd erupted in a chorus of boos. They were almost _exclusively_ on the Jon Jones bandwagon. It was just as bad as it was when he had first fought.

But Drew simply walked down towards the cage with his friends and his team, and tried to drown them out. He was _focused_. As focused as he had been in his entire _life_..

Before long, his friends and team stood outside the cage in his corner, as Drew stepped inside.

"The debut Heavyweight star prospect, Drew King, has moved _down_ to Light Heavyweight in his _second_ fight, Joe.." Daniel Cormier, one of the greatest fighters of all time, and commentator, said to Joe Rogan. "His _second_ fight, to fight the champion Jon Jones.."

"This is sure to be an interesting fight, DC.." Joe Rogan responded. "You've _had_ your share of bad blood and _history_ with Jon Jones, yourself.. So I'm interested to hear your take on this fight as it goes on, as well as the aftermath.."

With that out of the way, Jon Jones' music began to play. The crowd erupted in cheers, and he walked towards the cage with a grin of absolute arrogance and confidence.

It didn't take him long to reach the cage, and walk inside after going through all the process beforehand.

The two men now stood across from each other, and looked each other in the eye. Jon Jones simply gave another wink before smirking, but Drew's face simply remained with a scowl.. He was _determined_ to take this guy out.

He wasn't scared..

With that, Bruce Buffer, the announcer, stepped inside the cage, and began the introduction.

"Ladies and gentlemen.. _This is_ the main event of the evening!"

He read off the sponsors of tonight's event, as Drew and Jon continued to pace back and forth, not taking their eyes off the other.

It was like a couple of caged lions..

" _Aaaand now_ …" Bruce Buffer continued, hyping the crowd up as he always did. "This is the moment UFC fans, _around_ the world have been _waiting_ for! _Live_ from the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas!"

The crowd cheered at the top of their lungs as Bruce Buffer said what he always had been for years on end.

" _Iiiiiiit's_ time!" Bruce Buffer exclaimed. " _Five_ rounds, in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division!"

He now turned towards Drew.

"Introducing first, _fighting_ out of the red corner! A mixed martial artist, holding a professional record of 1 win, _no_ losses.. He stands, 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing in at 205 pounds.. _Fighting_ , out of South Park, Colorado, by way of Missouri. He is, the _challenger,_ Drew King!"

The crowd all booed him, but as always, Drew tried to drown them out. He was used to it. He was only here to do _one_ thing..

"And now introducing the champion.. _Fighting_ , out of the blue corner! A mixed martial artist, holding a professional record of 23 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no contest.. He stands, 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighing in at 205 pounds. _Fighting_ out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, by way of Ithaca, New York.. He is.. the _reigning_ , _defending_ , undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight champion of the _world_.. Jon "Bones" Jones!"

The crowd exploded once more, as everyone began to leave the cage, minus the referee and the two fighters..

"And your referee in charge, Herb Dean.."

Jon Jones and Drew walked to the center of the Octagon and stood literally _inches_ away from each other, as the ref went over the rules.

They both simply tuned him out, as they stared coldly at each other. After what seemed like several seconds, the ref finally said,

"Touch gloves if you want, and let's get things started.."

Rather than touching Drew's gloves, Jon Jones gave him a light smack on the cheek, and shoulder bumped him as he turned around. Drew had to restrain himself from attacking him right away, and instead walked back to his corner.

The cage door closed, and it was just the two of them and the referee..

"You ready?" The ref asked both guys, before officially starting the fight.

"Here we go, Joe!" DC said on commentary, as the two men walked towards each other, fists up.

Jon Jones and Drew circled each other for several seconds, before Jon threw a kick towards the body.

"Now the interesting thing about this fight, Joe, is that-"

DC was cut off when Drew _caught_ the leg, and sent a _hard_ and _devastating_ left hook into Jon Jones' temple.

Jon Jones shot backwards, stumbling on his feet like a drunk man.

"OH MY GOD!" Joe Rogan shouted, standing on his feet, as well as everyone else.

Jon Jones was hurt _bad_ , and it had _just_ started!

Jon Jones finally backed into the fence, but Drew was hot on his trail.

 _BAM! POW!_

Drew sent another hook into his face, and finally an _uppercut_ to his chin, knocking Jones to the ground!

His body was stiff, and Drew went for the ground and pound to his face as he got laid out.

 _BAM BAM BAM!_

The punches sounded _hard_ and _devastating_ , before the ref got in between the two.

The fight was over..

Jon Jones was unconscious.

Drew had _won_..

The crowd cheered at the top of their lungs, while many in the crowd simply looked on with widened eyes.

The man, the myth, the _legend_ , Jon Jones.. _Knocked_ unconscious in less than _30_ seconds!

Drew simply walked back to his corner, a blank expression on his face, simply holding his arm up in victory. He didn't even break a _sweat_..

Jon Jones' nose was leaking blood, and was definitely broken.. He lifted his arm up towards the referee, trying to fight him, because he was so disoriented.

Drew sat on his stool in his corner, as his team and his friends rushed inside the cage.

"THAT WAS _AWESOME_ UNCLE DREW!" Kylie yelled. "You showed him who was boss!"

"Great job! I've...never seen anything like that before..." Jack commented, obviously in shock.

"I knew you could do it!" Kyle exclaimed.

Drew simply gave Kyle a fist bump with a slight grin, before he told everyone,

"That was the one everyone was so scared of? I'm _disappointed_.. I wanna kick someone _else's_ ass."

Mark Hunt, Alexander Gustafsson, Thrawn, and the _entire_ team who had helped Drew throughout his training camp, simply stood there _awestruck_!

They walked over and lifted Drew up from his stool, lifting him on their shoulders to celebrate his victory.

The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers! It seemed that there was a _new_ UFC star! And his name was Drew King..

Drew was finally put down on the ground, as he walked towards the referee, getting ready for the official decision.

"Just.. _wow_.." Daniel Cormier said, leaning back in his chair. "I.. can't _believe_ how easy he just made that look!"

" _Absolutely_ , Daniel.." Joe Rogan shook his head with his eyes widened. "I think we're looking at the next _nightmare_ for the division, whether it be Light Heavyweight _or_ Heavyweight.. _What_ a performance!"

Jon Jones stood on the other side of the referee, his head down with a scowl on his face. He looked _angry_..

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bruce Buffer began to announce. "Referee Herb Dean has called a stop to this contest, at _24_ seconds of the very first round.. Declaring the winner, by _knockout_ , and the _new_ undisputed, UFC Light Heavyweight champion of the world.. Drew King!"

Dana White out the golden championship belt around Drew's waist, as his arm was held up by the referee in victory. Jon Jones merely stormed to the side of the Octagon, his hands on his hips.

"I'm here with the winner, and _new_ champion, Drew King!" Joe Rogan began to say, putting his hand on Drew's shoulder. "Just.. _wow_! You shocked the _world_! How are you _feeling_ , right now?"

Drew looked over at Jon Jones, who still held that scowl on his face.

"I came here to prove I could beat the unbeaten man, and I did _just_ that.." Drew began, not wanting to stoop to Jon Jones' cocky level. "I came in with a solid gameplan, and I executed it brilliantly.. That's all there is to say.."

"And what _was_ this gameplan?" Joe asked. "What _is_ the gameplan to beat, in some peoples' minds, the greatest martial artist of all time?"

Drew's response was simple,

"Win."

It was a vague and straightforward answer, but the crowd ate it up anyways. They began to chant Drew's name. He was now a _superstar_ world champion fighter!

"I'd like to thank my soon to be wife, Bebe Stevens!" He exclaimed, looking at her with a smile, as the crowd cheered. "I'd like to thank Jack, Kyle, Alex, Cate, Kenny, Stan, and the rest of my friends.. I'd like to thank Thrawn, Mark Hunt, Alexander Gustafsson, and my entire team who helped me in my training camp! My wonderful _family_ , such as my childrens' godmother, Nzuri, my daughter, Adia, as well as my other baby girl back home, Kenzi.. I also wanna thank God for allowing me to fulfill my dream, as well as my destiny! Thank you _all_."

The crowd gave him a round of applause, and cheered once more.

 _He had fulfilled his dream.. His dream he had wanted to fulfill ever since he was a small child.._

 _All that training, time, and hard work.. It had finally paid off.._

Drew stepped aside, hugging Bebe and giving her a kiss, as Joe Rogan now walked over towards Jon Jones.

"I'm here with Jon Jones.." Joe Rogan began, noticing Jon's angry and sulky demeanor right away. "Now Jon, I know it must be _devastating_ and _brutal_ to lose in such a-"

Jon Jones pulled the mic forward, cutting him off.

"Fuck that. Drew King! Little boy!" He yelled, getting Drew's attention. Drew looked at him with a scowl of his own, waiting to hear what bullshit he was gonna say next. "I want a _rematch_! This was a _fluke_! You caught me off guard, I'll admit, but that's _all_ it was.. Was a _fluke_!"

The crowd actually began to _boo_ Jon Jones now, which only fueled his anger.

"You're not a _champ_! You didn't _beat_ me! You're _lucky_! This _isn't_ over! Next time? I'm holding _nothing_ back against you.. You're gonna be the _first_ casualty inside a UFC Octagon! Mark my words.."

Jon Jones roughly handed Joe Rogan back the mic, as he began to storm off towards the exit of the cage. However, _someone_ blocked his way on the way out..

It was _Drew_.

Jon Jones simply stared at him in a boiling rage, wondering just what the hell he was doing.

Drew took the belt off of his waist, and held it _high_ in the air, right in front of his face, before stepping to the side. It was a bold action, but the crowd began to laugh and eat it up.

Karma was _really_ a bitch in Jon Jones' case.. Drew had just rubbed it in his face, and now he walked home a _loser_.. And a _sore_ loser at that..

Jack grinned, and flipped him off. "Not such a badass now that your game is up you fucking pussy."

Jon Jones simply ignored him and stormed off.

Drew leaned towards Jack and whispered,

"He's gonna piss hot too.. No way in _hell_ he's gonna pass that drug test.. That'll make my performance here tonight even _more_ solidified.."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Either way, he lost. _Badly_."

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Carandial paced around the bridge of the _Imperatore_ , his new flagship. A vast _Executor_ -class Star Dreadnought that reached over 20 kilometers in length, it was one of the most powerful ships in the Imperial Navy. A ship befitting the unofficial leader of the Spaceborne part of the military.

Strange ships had been sighted not too far away, and he had dispatched a small force of frigates to guard Pax'Cyran(as Mars had been renamed by the Cyrannians) from attack, while his main fleet hung back, ready to intervene if necessary.

Monitoring the radio transmissions of the frigate squadron, Carandial noticed something, one of them suddenly stopped transmitting, and then another.

"Captain! Report!" Carandial ordered to the last of the frigates.

"We're under attack! We-"

The signal was lost.

Carandial turned to the viewport. "Set course for the eastern hemisphere of Pax'Cyran!"

The ships shot forward as Imperial ships did when entering hyperspace, before arriving within seconds at the planet. When they got there, they witnessed a vast fleet of ships not too far away, led by a ship that rivalled the _Imperatore_ in size.

Carandial squinted a bit, and realized, with a mixture of anger and horror, that they were bombing a city.

"All ships, initiate attack pattern beta! Broadside them into oblivion!"

The _Imperatore_ and her escorts moved forward, with several forward Star Destroyers opening fire. A small trio of enemy corvettes were caught in the salvo and destroyed.

However, this caught the attention of the enemy dreadnought and the larger ships, which wheeled to face Carandial's fleet.

At that moment, the Admiral received a transmission...coming from the enemy.

Narrowing his eyes, he reluctantly ordered the AI to put them through.

"Admiral Carandial..."

Carandial clenched his fists as the holographic image of Zillum and Deathstroke appeared on screen. "At least we meet in this theater of war..."

"You should know by now that this never ends well for you," Carandial snarled. "We've defeated you before we can do it again."

"There's an _especially_ heavy bounty for your head, _Admiral_.." Deathstroke coldly warned. "Only a matter of time before my compensation is met.."

"You won't get the chance, mercenary." Carandial responded with equal venom, before closing the transmission.

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Aboard their flagship, _Merciless_ , Zillum turned to Deathstroke. "Head down to the city below, and bring me Apollo's head, and I'll triple your already considerable fee. Our benefactors on Earth have been so kind to fund us. Anderson certainly has made a lot of enemies on his own planet.."

Deathstroke loaded his handgun, before concealing it in a hidden holster by his ankle.

"You're too kind.." He replied with a hint of sarcasm, already preparing for an assassination on Apollo.

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Apollo, his children Laoi and Kara, his friend and Vice President Ramdard Ramthrace, and former navy officer Helo Roslia, waited in the new Presidential building. The distinct sounds of battle filled the room, and slowly, it crept closer. The shield protecting the city had been reduced to the area around the Presidential Office.

"You must all go, the enemy will be here any minute…" Apollo whispered.

"Dad, we're not going anywhere." Kara declared firmly.

"Yes, we're staying with you." Helo agreed.

"And than what?" Apollo sighed. "I am not going to let you all die martyrs-"

The door crashed open, and gunshots immediately filled the room. The figure in question was Deathstroke, who held two handguns. He was quite intent on leaving _no_ survivors, as this is where he was told Apollo was..

However, he was caught by surprise when the distinct sound of a lightsaber activating filled the room. Kara moved into view, holding her yellow lightsaber at the ready. She had enough experience in the War with Darkseid to use this weapon. She wasn't about to let her father die.

"Come to do your own dirty work?" She snarled.

Deathstroke simply chuckled as he loaded another magazine in each one of his handguns,

"Sharp tongue for such a little girl.. I admire your guts, but your puny little Lightsaber won't be enough to save you.."

Kara narrowed her eyes. "Then what are you afraid of?"

With that, she leapt forward.

Deathstroke stepped to the side and avoided the beginning strike. He decided to holster his handguns, and pull his _sword_ out instead.. He wanted at least a _bit_ of a challenge..

Kara held her ground, waiting for the assassin to make his move. Deathstroke spun completely around and swung his sword towards Kara's neck. She managed to block it, but just barely, and was pushed back a bit. She pushed back and launched a series of strikes against Deathstroke.

Deathstroke sighed and swiftly evaded the blows, before he sent a counter kick in her gut, which stunned her slightly, bringing her to one knee.

He swung his sword down to deal the final blow, and she only barely blocked the attack.

"Wait!" Someone cried.

Deathstroke knew better than to look in their direction, so as to not give his opponent room for a distraction blow. Instead, he responded while keeping his eye on Kara.

"Who interrupts me from completing my task?.." Deathstroke calmly demanded.

"It's me you want, not her. Just...let her go." Apollo said. "I know Zillum sent you. You want me? Here I am."

Deathstroke chuckled slightly, before swiping the lightsaber from Kara's hand, and picking her up. He threw her full force into a nearby wall, leaving her wounded on the ground.

Deathstroke began to walk his way towards Apollo, sheathing his sword, and pulling out his handgun once again.

Apollo closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

"Well, if it isn't my old friend..."

Deathstroke turned to see a young man, maybe twenty three with brown, somewhat long hair, blue eyes and a scar. He walked forward.

"I'm no friend of _yours_ , boy.." Deathstroke coldly said. "Leave now before I plant a _bullet_ in your skull.."

"You don't scare me, _Slade_." The man said. "My powers have _doubled_ since the last time we met...perhaps you remember..."

Deathstroke's eyes only narrowed, before he pointed his gun at the boy now.

"Who _are_ you? How do you know of me?.." Deathstroke demanded.

"I am Anakin Skywalker. Though you might remember me by a different name. Darth Vader."

Deathstroke appeared briefly stunned, before he gave his reply,

"So the Sith Lord finally grows a brain.. Was your artificial lung not doing you any good?" He taunted. "Didn't _think_ so.."

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Alex was caught off guard when his phone began to rang. It wasn't too late, but he still didn't expect any calls at this hour.

He saw that it was Jack who was ringing him. He swiped the accept call tab and said,

"Jack, what is it?"

"Get ready, we're under attack. It's Zillum. Carandial's already engaged his fleet."

"I'll be there in a flash… literally," Alex replied before he teleported to Jack's location.

Jack grinned. "I still can't get over that..."

"If there's one thing for which I can thank Umberto for," Alex chuckled.

Jack nodded. "Come on, we're going to link up with the First Fleet, and reinforce Carandial, and hopefully, defeat Zillum once and for all."

"Well, he hasn't met the Alex yet! Wait, I thought Carandial already had the fleet there?" Alex asked.

"We're organizing multiple fleets for the Navy. We have three currently, the Grand Imperial Fleet, under Carandial, the First Fleet under Lee, and the Second Fleet under Rommel." Jack replied. "More flexible if you have multiple groups of ships."

"Cool," Alex nodded.

They reached the airport, where the shuttle that would take them to the First Fleet was waiting. Upon arriving there, they were greeted by now Rear Admiral Pickett. "Long time no see, your majesties." He greeted.

"Likewise, Pickett o'Crisp," Alex grinned.

As the shuttle took off, Pickett informed them of the situation. "Zillum's fleet is a large one, similar in size to the Grand Imperial Fleet under Carandial. Their ships equal are own, and we're suffering substantial casualties both on land and in space. Master Skywalker and Captain Rogers are leading the ground assault to retake Republic City."

Jack nodded. "We will drive them from our territory one way or the other. Alex, you think you can help me take down Zillum?"

"Ah, I'd be right happy to," Alex agreed with an Irish accent.

"Excellent."

The shuttle exited the atmosphere, where a large fleet was gathering around the new _Mandator_ -class Dreadnought _Pride of the Empire_ , led by Lee.

"Emperors? This is Admiral Lee do you read me?"

"This is Jack, we read you loud and clear."

"Alex here, reading you also."

"Very well, setting course for Pax'Cyran now."

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The space battle continued to drag on. While the Imperial ships were stronger and more advanced, the Dominion vessels were by no means weak ships. At least thirty ships from both sides had been destroyed, a substantial portion of both armadas.

Directing the _Imperatore_ to swat down another enemy frigate, Carandial turned to the radar. The new organizational doctrine stated that every Commanding Admiral have a group of Rear Admirals to assist him in directing the fleet. He had chosen the best to assist him in this operation.

"All commanders report in."

"This is Armistead, we are pushing forward towards the enemy flagship." Armistead reported from his own ship that was advancing on the right.

"This is Chamberlain, the enemy is starting to fall back." Chamberlain announced, his part of the fleet moving on Armistead's left flank.

"Admiral, this is Rh'Vaurek, we're engaging their center now." One of the new admirals reported. Carandial grinned slightly. Rh'Vaurek had served as his second in command for years prior to his arrival here, and he was proving himself to be a capable Admiral.

"This is Roslia, we're engaging Zillum's dreadnought now."

Helo Roslia was a Republic captain, but an accomplished and effective one. In an attempt to build trust with the Republic, Carandial had chosen him to serve in his fleet.

"Very well, we are moving to assist now." Carandial replied. The _Imperatore_ moved forward, gunning down an enemy destroyer with ease, allowing it to at last engage the enemy flagship.

At that moment, Lee's fleet arrived in the battle field to the right. Alex's eyes widened when he realized this battle was larger than _any_ they fought in during World War III. Now there may have been hundreds of ships on both sides engaged in the current melee.

"Goodness. What are we to do?" Alex asked Jack. The Briton knew he would be an awful tactical emperor, and was glad that he was fighting with someone such as Jack.

"We board that dreadnought right there, and we fight our way to Zillum." Jack replied. He pointed to Zillum's massive flagship, which was engaged in a vicious broadside with the _Imperatore_.

"Righty dighty," Alex replied as he tapped his arc reactor, the nanobots enveloping his body.

"Teleport us to that ship now, Lee?" Jack asked from the shuttle.

"Sir?"

"Try to trap Zillum's fleet between the planet and Carandial's fleet."

With that, Jack waited for Alex to bring them to Zillum's Dreadnought.

Alex pressed the button on his suit, to the side of his pelvis, that contained the Infinity Stone. It created a portal that swallowed him and Jack, and they were then in the hallway of the Dreadnought.

A passing enemy soldier was stunned by their arrival, but still attempted to shoot at them. Jack swiftly blocked the bullet, while Alex fired a repulsor blast, blowing the soldier to the floor, leaving him motionless.

Jack looked at Alex with a grin. "Let's end this."

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The fighting on the ground had bogged down. Enemy tanks were counterattacking. Obi-Wan cut down another enemy soldier, while Steve Rogers threw his iconic vibranium shield at a group of soldiers, and the path of tye shield cut through the opponents before returning to his arm.

At that moment, a beam of light hit the ground nearby, and a hammer spun out of it, and began to carve a swathe through the enemy line as it spun around, before finally returning to the waiting hand of Thor as he emerged from the light.

"Haha! You guys are so screwed now!" Clint Barton chuckled from the hideout in which he was picking off enemy soldiers.

"Bring unto me the puny Zillum, for he shall suffer the wrath of the mighty Thor!" the Son of Odin cried as he ran to build momentum for a giant leap, and he swung Mjolnir into the floor, causing a great bolt of lightning stab into the earth like a fork, frying tens of soldiers in one go.

Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber and gestured to the enemy lines. "Come on men!"

With that, the army began to move forward again, slowly fighting it's way into Republic City.

They were soon joined by two other robed warriors who arrived from an Imperial Shuttle.

They landed on the ground, one with spikes on his shoulders activating a black lightsaber, while the other activated a red one. They immediately cut down a nearby Dominion trooper.

"Forward, soldiers of the Empire! To victory!" The one with spikes ordered. "We will end these invaders!"

"Huh, Jack's recruitment is quite non-discriminatory," Tony Stark commented. "Welp, we take what we get."

"We serve Tyromairon and those he deems worthy. He has deemed your Emperor a worthy ally, so we follow his orders, for now." The one with the red lightsaber replied somewhat curtly.

Obi-Wan cocked a brow. "May I ask our allies' names?"

"Lord Venatorius." The one with the red lightsaber responded. "Lord Maethoruin." The one with spikes introduced, using his force powers to rip apart an enemy tank.

"Yeah, no complaints here," Tony commented upon witnessing their demonstration of their powers.

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Anakin blocked the slash from Deathstroke. Metal clashed against plasma repeatedly as the two battled viciously.

Anakin pushed forward, and began to rain a series of heavy blows against Deathstroke, but he blocked each strike. It seemed neither had any true advantage over the other. In an attempt to gain an advantage, Anakin used the force to try and push Deathstroke back.

Deathstroke slid back a few feet, but that gave him an opportunity to use his pistol. Unholstering it quickly, he fired several bullets in Anakin's direction, who leapt out of the way of one bullet and blocked the other two.

At that moment, there was a sound of gunfire nearby.

"You've fallen for my little trick, merc." Anakin said with a grin. "Now you're outnumbered..."

Deathstroke narrowed his eyes, before he leapt at Anakin, sword in hand.

Anakin sidestepped, but realized that Deathstroke wasn't attempting to renew the fight. Instead, the merc escaped out of the room. Anakin attempted to follow, but after entering the hall, realized he was nowhere to be seen...

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Zillum turned as the door opened, grinning slightly. He had known Jack and Alex would attempt to board his ship, which was why he laid a trap for them.

"Are you prepared for this, my friends?" He asked the figures who stood beside him.

"Yes, my lord." General Grievous replied. "Anderson's lightsaber will make a fine addition to my collection."

Loki, on the other hand, grinned malevolently as he drew a pair of daggers.

"Ooh, Tom Hiddleston! I loved you in The Night Manager!" Alex exclaimed, disregarding the threat posed by the God of Mischief. Loki rolled his eyes in response, but disappeared in a green flash.

"Uh, oh… the battle of the tricksters," Alex grimaced as he too disappeared in a blue flash. He then appeared behind Loki, correctly predicting that he would try to stab him in the back. It wouldn't work, of course, but he had to remove the threat of the lover of chaos as soon as possible. Alex lifted Loki high in the air before violently bringing him to the floor.

Meanwhile, Grievous approached Jack. "At last we meet...Anderson..."

Jack grinned. "Let me guess, this will end with you running away coughing?"

"No..." Grievous replied as he activated his lightsabers. "Only with your death."

Jack activated his lightsaber, and blocked the series of strikes Grievous sent in his direction.

Zillum watched his new allies battle the Emperors grinning. "You are strong for mere _children_." He said venomously.

"How is dear old Cate?" He asked Alex. "Cherish her and your children while you have them, because when this ends, you will watch your brats die and her being reduced to what she should be, a whore for my soldiers."

Loki's grunt in preparing to punch Alex brought him back to his senses. Alex caught the punch, kneed the God in the stomach before throwing him towards Zillum, who dodged the flying God, but this meant that Loki smashed the window, disappearing into a green flash before he could be killed in the vast vacuum of space.

Jack, meanwhile, continued to duel with Grievous. "You fight well, boy! But I would be expecting someone with your reputation to be a bit older..."

"You're shorter than I expected, Grievous." Jack shot back, sending a series of strikes against Grievous.

"If only you knew the truth..." Zillum said coldly as Alex approached him angrily.

Alex formed a spear with his nanobots and aimed it at Zillum.

"If you want to keep your vocal chords, I'd shut the fuck up right now!" Alex warned.

Zillum laughed, before sending Alex flying backwards with a force push, and activating his own lightsaber. "Is it too difficult to accept the truth?" Zillum snarled as he approached Alex, who was rising to his feet.

"There is no other truth apart from your fate. You and your minions shall be defeated. It is the will of the universe that equilibrium be restored," Alex declared as he shot a repulsor blast at Zillum.

Zillum blocked it with his lightsaber. "If that happens...then Cate must die as well." He said simply.

Alex froze. What could that ever mean?

However, this brief moment was all that was needed for Zillum to use the Force to forcibly remove the armor from around his body.

"You are but a boy. You are nothing, unworthy of your title, of your power, you are unworthy of the loved ones you shall lose," Zillum taunted.

Alex grew furious. He would hear no more. He felt some sort of energy build up from his heart, and it moved to his arms. He then stretched his arms, and a purple beam of energy streamed from his arms.

In retaliation, Zillum blocked this with his lightsaber, and after a few seconds of deadlock, Zillum flicked the lightsaber, and by extension the energy coming from Alex's arms, upwards, causing an explosion that brought the ceiling down on top of the human.

Suddenly, the debris floated in the air before being hurtled across the room. Alex flew towards Zillum, knocking him onto the control panel. The ship listed slightly, causing everyone and everything to fall towards the same direction, including the nanobot-formed spear.

Alex and Zillum continued to grapple and punch each other, before Zillum saw the spear, kicked Alex in the face, and in that moment of dizziness, Alex failed to see the spear hurtling towards his chest.

The spear penetrated through his arc reactor, but luckily _just_ missing his heart.

Zillum strode forward. "Now, Maul."

A third figure arrived. "With pleasure, master." Darth Maul spoke, walking forward and joining Grievous in backing Jack into a corner.

Zillum looked down at Alex. "Cate never told you, did she?"

Alex could only wheeze and sweat profusely. The tightness in his chest was beginning to hurt. All he could muster was a cold, angry glare.

Zillum grabbed him by the throat. "There's a reason you haven't met her parents. A reason why she threw herself at you like that when you first met. Because _we_ made her. A perfect girlfriend for you. But one who sent us information for weeks, before she actually did start to believe she loved you...But no matter, she will die with you, knowing that you _knew_ she was nothing but a lying spy."

A tear fell down Alex's face. The last sentence was false. A lie. A swindle.

To add injury to insult, Zillum harshly extracted the spear from the arc reactor. Alex suddenly felt utterly faint and fell unconscious upon hitting the floor.

Jack was cornered, and as he looked at Zillum, who turned to join Grievous and Maul.

"Your empire dies today..."

With that, he sent a torrent of force lightning that sent Jack to the ground.

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Drew, Bebe, Adia, Nzuri, and Kenzi were surprised when they arrived in their hotel room. To their slight surprise, it was dark.

"Drew King..."

Drew immediately narrowed his eyes, and stood in front of Bebe protectively. "The Batman...Pleasure to see you again."

Adia's eyes widened as she looked at Drew in shock. She was the _only_ one in the family besides Kenzi to _know_ of Drew's secret! What...was her Dad _really_ …

All that stuff Batman did, it was _him_ all along!?

She idolized her Dad enough as it was, but after finding _this_ out, she couldn't help but _double_ her already infinite respect and love for him..

He was her hero..

Drew looked down at his daughter with obvious concern.. He clearly didn't want her getting hurt at _all_ , or _any_ of his family for that matter..

Drew didn't respond to Deathstroke's ominous greeting. He only raised his fists, ready to protect his family.

"Zillum placed a price on your head. I'm here to collect." Deathstroke said.

With that, he unsheathed his sword. "A price on _all_ of your heads."

Drew gritted his teeth, stepping forward to where he was front of _all_ his family now..

"Bebe, Nzuri, get the kids out of here _now_!"

"No!" Nzuri declared suddenly. "I'm staying!"

"Nzuri.. You're _not_ -"

"I am going to fight alongside my friend."

Drew simply would _not_ allow this! He didn't have time! However, seeing as that was the case, he knew he wouldn't be able to really convince her without wasting too much time as well..

Time was a necessity here..

Drew bit his tongue, before turning to face Deathstroke, as Bebe led the kids away. As they left, Bebe sent Drew one last worried look.

"I love you.." She muttered, before rushing her and her kids to safety. She had a _bad_ feeling about all this.. _Bad_..

Deathstroke leapt forward, swinging his sword in a swift, side to side motion. Drew dodged the attack, and tried to go for a right hook, while Nzuri leapt at Deathstroke from the side.

However, he managed to dodge the attack, and it was too late.

Drew's eyes widened when he realized what was coming.

Deathstroke sent his sword forward, and there was a pained roar.

"No..." Drew breathed. " _No_!"

Deathstroke withdrew his sword as Nzuri fell to the ground, a puddle of blood slowly beginning to form..

"You're _next_!" Deathstroke warned.

Drew narrowed his eyes, and scanned the room to try and find a weakness. However, he was unprepared. He didn't have his gadgets here that he could use to try and even the odds.

He was practically at a _massive_ disadvantage now! All he had _left_ was his martial arts training and experience..

Still, he wouldn't give up. Not _now_.

Deathstroke began to walk forward, dragging the sword against the wood of the bedframe, causing a scratching sound as it cut a mark on the bed.

Then, the mercenary leapt forward, swinging his blade twice. Drew dodged, and this time, managed to grab ahold of Deathstroke's arm, and knock the sword out of it.

However, _every_ blow that Drew would send his way, Deathstroke would simply _block_ it or _counter_ it with almost relative _ease_.. It was like he was always two steps _ahead_ of him at all times!

Drew desperately tried to throw a left hook at the mercenary, but this time, Slade caught his hand, and for a moment, looked into Drew's eyes.

"Easy money..."

He punched Drew in the chest, neck and face, causing him to fall to the ground, before planting his foot on Drew's neck.

He pulled out his pistol, and aimed it at Drew's head.

"Go to Hell..." Drew snarled defiantly.

Deathstroke narrowed his eyes,

"You first.."

He pulled the trigger..

Drew's eyes widened as silence began to fill the room. Nothing was felt at first, until a slight stinging could be felt on his neck.

He put his hand on his neck, and quickly removed it to see the damage.. Crimson covered his _entire_ hand.. The bullet had severed the carotid artery in his neck..

That was _not_ good at all! This meant that he would _surely_ bleed out..

Drew began to gag, and his skin began to slowly pale as he held his hand over the gunshot wound. His vision was now _super_ blurry, and all he could do was crawl backwards in a hopeless effort of escape..

Deathstroke marched calmly, yet aggressively up to Drew and stomped his foot down onto his chest. This caused Drew to cough up a bit of blood as he continued to gag. Blood was beginning to fill his lungs. If he didn't die from blood loss or by choking, he certainly would by drowning in his own blood.

Chances were, though, Deathstroke would finish the job in a matter of seconds..

"I respect your bravery, _Batman_.." Deathstroke emphasized. " _Really_ , I do.. No worries.. No one but I knows of your little secret. They'd have to pay me over _triple_ to get _that_ kind of information.."

He chuckled a bit as he applied more weight to Drew's chest. Drew's energy was all but depleted at this point.

"It wasn't hard to track you down.. Simple tracking device, along with some sloppy track covering, and we have ourselves an exposed bat.. I suggest _next_ time, you be a _bit_ more careful, and play things a lot smarter.."

Deathstroke put a bullet in the handgun's chamber and added,

"But unfortunately, you won't ever _get_ such a chance.. Because I respect your willingness to never submit, and because you _did_ at least put up a fight, I shall give you an _honorable_ death.."

He pointed the gun at Drew's head, as Drew closed his eyes. This was it.. He was gonna die.

He was gonna leave _everything_ behind..

 _ZAP!_

"AGHHH!" Deathstroke yelled in agony as his entire body began to shake. He was being _electrocuted_!

It didn't take much, as he was shot back several feet, hitting the wall behind him, immediately going unconscious..

Drew didn't have the strength, nor the _will_ to look up at his savior.. He could _feel_ it in his body.. His death would come in seconds, anyways..

He was a _goner_..

That was, until he saw electricity _radiate_ all around his body! He had _seen_ this before..

Was this?...

"R- Raiden?.." Drew weakly questioned.

"Do not speak." Raiden ordered. "With every word, you only delay the recovery process.."

Drew didn't say anything after that, but gave a slight nod in understanding. It wasn't long after _that_ that he felt _full_ strength returning to his body once more!

He could literally _feel_ the carotid artery reform itself! The gunshot wound on his _neck_ closed itself up as well! A real _nasty_ scar still remained, however..

But besides that, Drew felt _rejuvenated_! He was completely _normal_ again..

Drew took a _deep_ breath once again, thankful to be breathing oxygen once more.. Had Raiden not arrived when he did, or even started the healing process any later, he would've been dead..

Drew slowly stood to his feet, with Raiden assisting him. He looked at Raiden with graciousness, but before he could even say anything, Raiden spoke for him,

"It was nothing.." He looked down a bit, before looking Drew in the eye once again. "My visions indicated that something _terrible_ was amiss.. That a _travesty_ was soon to befall one of Earthrealm's greatest warriors, had no intervention took place.."

Raiden looked over to where Deathstroke had hit the wall, which caused Drew to do the same. He was now _gone_.. He must not have been out for long.

Raiden sighed and added,

"It appears the visions proved to be true.."

Drew nodded before he replied,

"What matters is that no one got _seriously_ hurt.. I'm indebted to you for saving my life.. I promise, whatever I can do to aid Earthrealm in their plights, I will be there.."

Raiden looked over and gave a simple response,

"I know you will.. Your heart shows strength. It shows a fighting spirit, with a tenacity to protect the innocent, as well as those he loves.."

Drew gave another gracious smile, but before he could reply, Raiden held onto his head once again. He was having _another_ vision.

"Raiden? What's wrong? What do you _see_?.." Drew asked him.

Raiden's eyes shot open wide as he looked in the distance.

"Your beloved, your _children_.. They are in _great_ peril!"

Drew gasped in shock, _his_ eyes widened now,

"Wait, _wha-_ "

Raiden put his hand on Drew's shoulder, as lightning surrounded the both of them.

"Come with me! We have not a _moment_ to lose!" Raiden spoke firmly.

With that, he teleported the both of them out of the hotel room.

Bebe and both of her and Drew's daughters were in _terrible_ danger..

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Zillum looked down at Jack. "Your friend...will die with you." He began.

Jack's eyes widened. "No..."

"One Emperor down, two to go." Zillum said darkly, grabbing Jack by his hair, and looking into his eyes. "I will make sure you experience every single cut and burn. Your death will be beyond excruciating."

He activated his lightsaber, and raised it, before he was thrown back by a sudden, powerful force push.

Jack fell to the ground as...Tyromairon entered the room.

Zillum stood to his feet. "Finally brave enough to fight your own battles..."

Tyromairon didn't respond. "Your time will come, Mortalitas. That I can assure you."

He used the force to pull the unconscious bodies Jack and Alex to him, before replying. "The Empire will live on."

With that, he disappeared in a burst of dark smoke.

"No!" Zillum yelled, throwing his lightsaber at the disappearing forms. But it was too late. As the last puff of smoke disappeared, the lightsaber embedded itself in a wall.

Zillum narrowed his eyes, and turned to the his apprentices. "Get the fleet out of here! Send word to Deathstroke!"

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Carandial looked out through the viewport. Zillum's dreadnought had carved a swathe through their fleet, and had hyperspaced from the battle. It had been joined by roughly forty percent of it's escorts, with the rest being trapped by the remaining Imperial Fleet.

"Admiral?"

"Master Kenobi?" He asked.

"Is the fighting on the ground ended?"

"Yes, but the city is heavily damaged. We've suffered substantial losses."

Carandial sighed.

"What of the Emperors?"

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Alex awoke in a medical room. An IV was in his arm, and he had a replicated healing agent on his chest where the spear had stabbed him.

Jack was lying on a bed next to him. "Alex?" He asked, when he realized his friend was awake.

Alex slowly looked to Jack. He felt his body filled with the emptiness of defeat and confusion. Was it true what Zillum claimed? Was Cate truly a Replicant?

Now that he thought about it, it began to make more sense. He didn't want to believe it, but that was the only conclusion. She always said that her parents were in South Korea with their extended family. He thought it was odd that she didn't really do things independently. She only ever went out with friends. Even before she was pregnant.

"Who can I trust, Jack? My fiancé, the mother of my children, has been lying to me ever since we met. Zillum was right. I am but a naive child, hiding in a shell of armour, too weak and cowardly to fight with my own strength," Alex lamented.

Jack was silent for a moment. "We both failed..."

He looked at Alex. "I...almost got you killed leading this mission. We should have just stayed with the fleet or fought on the ground. We should have _known_ there'd be a trap. I led us to this, and because of that..."

He couldn't say it. He didn't want to admit it either. He just couldn't believe it. Cate was a replicant…

The very idea of saying it just…

Alex did nothing more than breathe for a few minutes. If he stopped, it would hurt. But it would hurt if he kept on. His heart was broken.

He had a thousand thoughts going through his mind, but no words came from his mouth. What would he tell his family and friends? It would be humiliating.

Jack looked down. "Alex..."

Alex's head fell back on the pillow. This only further deflated him.

He clenched his fist.

The heart monitor, despite turning slightly glitchy, was showing that his weak, shattered heart was strengthening.

Suddenly, there was a spike in telekinetic activity. Medical instruments, machines and a jug of water all orbited above Alex's bed.

Alex screamed in uncorrupted anger. Anger at himself, at Zillum. But could he have been angry at Cate?

He then willed the objects that flew above him to crash into the wall in front of him.

Surprisingly, he casually, and remarkably calmly, rose to his feet, as if he hadn't had a great big spear stuck in his chest earlier.

"Alex…?" Jack began, a bit nervously.

Alex turned around, revealing the wound that was caused by the spear being closed up from inside his chest by what looked like nanobots. They had somehow infiltrated his body, which was against their programming. Since there was no contingency for this, they were stuck in there, healing his wounds, replenishing his cells. He was no longer fully human, not really. Just like Cate.

"Alex...are you alright?"

"I… I feel… I don't know what I feel, but it feels… refreshing, like I do not know weariness. I think I have become… like, a Terminator," he guessed.

Jack looked at him. "What...are you going to do? About Cate?"

"I'm not going to harm her or anything. I… I just need to talk to her," he said.

"I wish you a full and swift recovery," he bid Jack before he left the room.

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"Drew!"

Drew was caught by surprise when he heard Jack calling him. Turning around, he saw his friend approaching. "I heard about what happened. I'm here to help."

It was now that Jack realized Drew had a phone up to his ear, a look of utter _worry_ on his face.

"Come on, come _on_.." Drew whisper-yelled. "Pick up, Bebe! _Please_.."

A few more seconds went by, before Drew roughly hung up and tossed the phone to the ground. He put his hands over his face and took a deep breath. It had been _multiple_ times he had tried to reach her or _any_ of his family, but it was to no avail..

Jack pulled up his phone. "Caesarius, any luck?"

"No, sir. We've been scouring the city, but we've come up with nothing."

This only _fueled_ Drew's concern.. It was dead silent in the room, so he could hear his words over the phone. Drew turned to Raiden, who was standing nearby with his arms folded, as if deep in thought.

Drew's expression was one of _pleading_ as he said to him,

"Raiden, _please_ tell me you see something! _Please_ tell me you foresee a _clue_ of where they might be at.."

Raiden snapped out of his thoughts and looked down in pity.

"I'm afraid not.. The visions have gone for now. My mind is but a blank space."

" _Fuck_.." Drew cursed under his breath, tears beginning to form. He wasn't mad at Raiden for this, but was only _very_ worried about his family. They meant the absolute _world_ to him..

Jack took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, trying to find anything with the force, much like Raiden had done with his powers. But as with Raiden, he saw nothing.

"I sympathize with you and understand your plight.." Raiden spoke softly. "I have informed Liu Kang and the rest of Earthrealm's warriors of this not too long ago. That will extend the search even further.. If they find anything, they will let you know.."

Drew sighed, taking more deep breaths and trying to calm down once more.

"Thank you, Raiden.. I- I appreciate the help." Drew looked down as a tear fell down his cheek. "I- I just can't _lose_ them!.. They are what I _live_ for! They are who I _fight_ every day for in this world! They are my _everything_.. Without them.. I am nothing.."

Raiden stayed silent for a couple of seconds, before putting a hand on Drew's shoulder, catching his attention.

"That is not true.." Raiden spoke. "Your family is your everything; your will to live.. That is _good_.. That is a _very_ noble quality to possess.. But _because_ of that quality in your heart, that already makes you _much_ more valuable than you perceive yourself to be.. Should you ever lose them one day, Elder Gods forbid, you shall _still_ be a brave warrior and _defender_ of Earthrealm with a heart of great distinction.."

Drew didn't know what to _say_.. He had never really _thought_ of it like that before.. His greatest _fear_ was losing his family, but even still, he shouldn't talk down on _himself_ like this.. He _still_ had purpose besides that! But as far as _he_ was concerned, his family _still_ came first! No matter _what_..

He would _see_ to it..

"You're right.." Drew said to Raiden, as he stood up straight now, taking another deep breath. In an instant, his expression changed to _absolute_ seriousness. "We're going to _find_ them.. No matter _what_ it takes.."

Raiden nodded in understanding, glad his words seemed to have inspired him a bit.

"I must return to Liu Kang and the other Earthrealm warriors.. I will check up on their search, and then afterwards I must tend to other matters that need my attention.. Being Earthrealm's Protector is no simple task.."

Drew shook his head and replied,

"I'll bet it isn't.. We'll see you around, Raiden.."

With that Raiden instantly teleported away in a flash of lightning, leaving Drew and Jack alone.

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Alex headed back towards his house as he thought through how he was going to sort it out. Any intimidation was out of the question. He wanted for her to be honest.

He wasn't disappointed that Cate was a replicant, it was the scale of deception that was most treacherous to him.

He unlocked and upon the front door to his house, and upon entering, he could hear the TV.

"Hello?" Cate asked. Alex didn't reply, so she got up and went to see who entered the house. Alex wasn't expected to recover for at least a couple days, so it was a surprise to see him standing in the hallway, seemingly unblemished.

"Alex? What are you doing here? How have you healed so quickly?" Cate asked in confusion.

"Long story short, my nanobots are inside my body now," Alex replied bluntly. "Where are our children?" he asked.

Cate motioned to the living room. "In there," she answered.

Alex nodded before declaring, "We need to have a talk. Upstairs."

Cate followed him upstairs. Alex opened the door to their bedroom, and motioned for her to enter. He closed the door behind them.

"While I was fighting Zillum, he said something… interesting about you, and I just wanted some clarification," Alex said.

"Oh, Zillum would say whatever to throw you off-balance?"

"Yes, but why did he accuse you of being someone other than what you claim to be?"

Cate cocked a brow. "W-what?" she laughed slightly.

"He said that you were not of natural conception. Not IVF, but by the Replicator. Is that true?" Alex asked.

Cate looked to the side slightly. She didn't want to lie anymore. Alex didn't deserve it. She knew he wouldn't be angry with what she was, but with the scale of the deception.

She took a deep breath.

"I'm really sorry, Alex. I truly am. I am afraid I was indeed replicated by Zillum to spy on the future emperors," Cate finally admitted.

Alex turned away.

"Alex, please forgive me," Cate pleaded. He then turned back.

"Why? How do I know that your plan is not yet complete? Are you going to poison me?" Alex questioned.

Cate gasped in disbelief.

"How could you think that of me? If that was my objective, I would have done it sooner. But you know what?" Cate said.

"My creators did not know what it was to love, but you do. You have shown genuine decency, respect and compassion, and for that, my love for you is undying," she added.

Alex sat down on the bed and glared at Cate.

"Ever since we met, you have withheld from me your true identity. You gave birth to our children, accepted my offer to commit my life to you, and only now you tell me who you really are?" he asked.

"I really am sorry, but I didn't have a choice. I was kinda coded to remain loyal to you, and that wouldn't need to find out, but ever since our relationship has strengthened, I feel I have been liberated from them. My loyalty is to you and your friends," Cate protested.

Alex got up and walked up to her, placing a hand on her cheek.

"I find you no less beautiful than when we first met. It would not be worth harming our family. Our children need us to protect them from the threats that face us all. Zillum seeks to divide us, but I will not let that happen. I will still marry you, but on the condition that you never lie to me like that again," Alex said.

Cate nodded firmly as a tear induced by utter relief fell down her face before they kissed.

"I love you, Alex. I always will," Cate said.

"I love you too," Alex confirmed.

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"So, where do we start?" Jack asked Drew.

Drew had picked up his phone just earlier to make sure it was still working properly, which thankfully it was.

Just as Jack had asked the question, Drew's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth. He roughly stuffed his phone in his pocket and walked towards the TV, turning it on.

"I'll tell you where we'll start.." Drew venomously said. "I'll bet it's _all_ over the news.. It's a wonder you haven't been informed yet.."

"Don't _start_ with that, Drew. I'm trying to help you." Jack replied just as venomously. He was in _no_ mood for this kind of thing right now. Not after the Battle of Republic City.

Drew shot his gaze over at Jack, as he ignored his remarks and turned the TV up. Sure enough, the _first_ thing that was on the news was the thing he saw on his phone!

"Yes, you _heard_ us right!" The midget in a bikini shouted, laced with worry of his own. "The Joker! Yes, _The Joker_ has escaped from State Colorado Police custody! A prison guard was found _dead_ inside his cell, a permanent _smile_ plastered on his face.. His bloodshed would _continue_ after a little _girl_ , the daughter to the prison's secretary, was found dead just outside the entrance.. She suffered two.. _gunshot_ wounds to the che- Oh _Jesus_! This guy needs to be on _high_ criminal watch! Be _careful_ , out there! He was last spotted _in_ South Park.."

Drew shot up to his feet, an expression of unbridled _rage_ on his face,

" _Him_! It was _him_! I'm almost _sure_ of it! If he has _hurt_ them in _any_ way..-"

"We're going to find him." Jack said with determination. "That I promise you."

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 _Tick tock.._

Besides the clock ticking on the wall, silence reigned throughout the room.. Drew was currently sitting in his living room, the floor filled with a mess of papers, circuitry, and other forms of trash.

He had spent two _weeks_ now trying to track down _any_ sign of his family.. But it was to no avail.. He had tried creating new gadgets to aid the search, he tried making manual notes on paper that could help him triangulate _any_ sort of location, he had even _interrogated_ lowlifes on the street as Batman in a desperate attempt at getting information!

But nothing..

The trail seemed to be _cold_..

The Joker was still on the loose, as well as his accomplices. Joker was just _so_ damn good at hiding! He was _unpredictable_ , he was a psychopathic criminal _mastermind_ , and _that's_ what scared him..

Drew, himself, held little fear towards The Joker. However, he would be lying if he said he didn't still get chills by what he's done, and still _continues_ to do.. But what _really_ scared him was what he might do to his _family_!

Drew still had no solid proof that it was Joker who had done it, but Raiden's visions, as well as no real _sighting_ of Joker ever since his escape, had all but _confirmed_ it for him..

They had to be so _scared_ right now! So _alone_.. In such pain-

"AGHH!" Drew exclaimed, tipping over the coffee table in his living room in a short burst of rage and anxiety. The very _thought_ of Joker putting them through such _pain_ made Drew mentally begin to go insane!

His mind was _racing_.. He was so _exhausted_.. He had literally spent the past few _days_ in search of them with little to _no_ rest.. Drew was literally working himself to _death_.. He was at his near _breaking_ point!

Drew fell back onto the couch, tears now beginning to form in his eyes. His lips began to quiver as his eyes stung with intense and pained sadness. The tears freely flowed down his face, as he began to think pessimistic thoughts..

' _What if I never see them again?'_ Drew thought. _'What if I never get to say goodbye?'_

Drew's expression switched from anguish to pure determined _rage_ in the span of a split second.

' _No!'_ He thought more confidently. _'I WILL find The Joker! He will PAY for what he's done! Don't worry, my little girls.. Daddy's coming to save you! And Bebe.. Just hang tight! I love you all..'_

Drew stood back up to his feet and bent down to pick the coffee table back up with a sigh. He had dark circled under his eyes, a clear _indicator_ of how exhausted he was. But that didn't matter now! He had work to do, and the more time he wasted, the bigger the chance The Joker had of torturing them even _further_ than he probably already had!

This was going to end _soon_..

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It was a cold, dark night. The moon was obscured by black clouds, and the wind seemed to howl like a demon. It was creepy to say the least.

Jack had driven off to the grocery store, with Kylie in tow. They were driving down the dark road towards the house. There was no snow or anything, it was just dark, bleak, eerie.

Kylie looked out the window, squinting. She thought she saw something in the treeline, but she couldn't tell just _what_. Still, she got this overwhelming sense that…

Suddenly, the car halted. As if it was parking.

Jack blinked in surprise, before pushing on the gas. Nothing. Everything seemed to be on, but it wasn't moving whatsoever.

"What's going on?" Kylie asked curiously, puzzled.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know..."

"How far are we from the house?"

Jack stopped. It wasn't too cold out, so maybe they could walk home, and fix the car in the morning?

"Maybe a mile down the road, we could probably make it in twenty minutes."

Kylie nodded.

As they exited the car, Jack activated his lightsaber to give off a little light. However, it flickered for a second, before turning off completely.

Cursing in frustration, Jack tried to turn it back on, but to no avail. Like the car, it seemed to be just fine, but it refused to work…

Kylie blinked, not understanding why this wasn't working, before, in the distance, she thought she heard something. The smallest rustle of leaves.

She froze, and looked behind her. Indeed, twenty feet away was cluster of bushes, rustling in the wind.

Chalking it up to her imagination, she turned back to her father, who finally gave up. "We'll figure this out when we get home, come on."

Their eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness a bit better, so they could at least see a bit, but…

Jack began to walk forward. In the back of her mind, Kylie began to get this strangest feeling, like they were being watched.

The darkness didn't help. She rushed after her father, grabbing his hand in an attempt to reassure herself. As a child, she had a very active imagination, and her young mind was already starting to play tricks on her.

They walked for a bit, before Jack stopped.

"What is it daddy?" She asked.

Jack didn't answer, and turned to look behind them. He had heard a light, almost inaudible twig snap.

He was probably being paranoid, but he had his daughter with him, and because of that…

Taking a deep breath, he wrapped an arm around Kylie's shoulder, and began to move forward again. Another few feet, and…

A rock rolled on the ground, this time closer.

Both of them noticed it this time, and they turned.

Again, nothing.

Kylie was getting scared now, and squeezed Jack's hand nervously.

"Get behind me." Jack said firmly He looked to the dark forest, and began to walk forward to confront whatever was following them.

He stopped at the halfway point when he realized something; his daughter was right there, and she was completely exposed.

He immediately turned back, and motioned for her to keep moving. Every so often, he looked back. Then, he heard it. The sound of steps. Of feet moving on the earth and leaves.

He stopped, and looked back, and this time, he saw something. The dark silhouette of a face peering out behind a tree.

He couldn't make out anything, except, it's shape was _not_ human.

He immediately readied his lightsaber, and it flickered, before shutting off. But it illuminated the area just long enough to make out…

Kylie screamed in terror and began to _run_ in the other direction, sprinting towards the house. Jack ran after her, and the sound of the thing running alongside them in the forest, crashing through the leaves, getting a bit closer, with every stride.

He couldn't keep up with Kylie, and soon, the creature bypassed him, and he realized, it was going for his daughter.

The creature burst from the thicket with an inhuman screech, and Jack saw its black form rushing at Kylie.

He force pulled her towards him, catching her just as the creature raised a two foot long claw and slashed it into the ground where Kylie had just been.

The creature turned to face them, crawling on the ground slowly, circling them.

Kylie looked away, utterly terrified.

Jack tried yet again to activate his lightsaber, and this time, it _stayed_ on. The creature stopped for a moment, before it's lipless mouth curled into an evil smile while exposing razor sharp teeth.

Then, in a burst of black smoke, it was gone.

Jack blinked, before looking around quickly. He saw nothing. No sign of the creature. _Nothing_.

" _Can't run…"_

Jack froze. Did...someone just _talk_ to him in his mind?!

" _Your family has paid for your failure. Your daughter is next."_

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They finally reached…

Kylie's eyes widened. Their house, their _home_ , was gone. A charred, blackened ruin, barely standing.

"Mom…?" She asked nervously.

No response. "Sis? Brother?"

Nothing.

She began to walk forward, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her father looked at her with an expression of pure sadness and…

She knew…

Jack took a deep breath as Kylie hugged him silently. He had to stay strong. For _her_ sake. But on the inside, Jack was broken. Simba, his son, his firstborn in a way, was gone. Amelia, his beloved daughter who he and Kyle had found so many months ago, and…

 _Kyle_ …

The person he had given his very heart and soul to was gone.

Kyle was gone…

Along with their unborn child...

He took a deep breath, and felt tears start to flow.

"Why?" Kylie asked softly.

That broke him.

And in that moment, Jack fell to his knees.

He felt a small arm wrap around him, and he saw his last child looking at him. She hugged him silently, starting to cry softly herself.

He didn't respond for a moment, before he hugged her tightly.

He _wasn't_ going to let _anything_ harm her. He would protect her as long as he lived. He would not fail his daughter like he had failed Kyle, Simba, Amelia and his unborn son…

He stood up, and placed a hand on Kylie's shoulder, before looking up determinedly.

"Zillum, Deathstroke, Joker, Darkseid, and to _you_ , the monster who took my family, know this: as long as I live, you will never know victory. I will fight everyone of you for every inch of land. Every time you advance you will know pain and loss. And when the time comes, as you know death and defeat, I will be there, and I _will_ kill you. Know that, because I am coming for you, and _hell's_ coming with me!"

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Stan was caught by surprise when he heard knocking on the front door. Kenny looked up from the couch, puzzled by the noise. It was almost midnight, so who would be here at this hour? They were both simply watching a basketball game on TV. Tonight was a rather uneventful one for the two friends.. They were just hanging out.

Stan walked to the door, looking up the stairs as he did so. He knew his family was asleep upstairs, and he didn't want them to be disturbed in any way. Looking through the peephole in the door, Stan was surprised to see Jack and Kylie standing there..

Stan immediately opened up the door as Kenny approached as well, a beer bottle in his hand.

"H- Hey, guys.." Stan greeted in a more hushed voice, so as to not be too loud. "What brings you here so late? Is something wrong?.."

"I need you to keep an eye on Kylie for a bit." Jack said curtly. "I'm going after Zillum. This ends _now_."

"Woah, woah.. Slow _down_.." Kenny said, stepping a bit closer. "Now what's going on here? What happened?.." He paused for a bit, before worry began to set in. "And where's _Kyle_?.."

Stan began to get worried now as well.

"Y- Yeah.." Stan began. "Why can't _Kyle_ watch Kylie? Something _has_ to have happened! What is it?"

Jack looked down. "Something took her, Simba and Amelia. Kylie and I only barely escaped. I'm going to avenge them. Zillum dies first, and then the monster who did this."

" _WHAT_!?" Stan and Kenny simultaneously yelled. Their expressions were very understandable, based on the news they had just received. It was a mix of shock, anger, sadness, and determination.

"The- They're _gone_!? They _can't_ be!" Stan exclaimed. Basically all effort of remaining quiet flew out the window.

" _What_ took them!?" Kenny demanded, roughly slamming down his beer bottle. "I'll track it down and _kill_ it, myself!"

"I didn't see it, but it sent one of it's minions after us. However, it did reveal itself to me for a split second in my mind. A tall, faceless creature in a suit."

At that point, Kenny grabbed his hoodie as Stan muttered,

"Jesus Christ, dude.."

Kenny put his hoodie on and pushed past Jack, heading out the door.

"Kenny!? Where are you going?" Stan questioned.

"I'm going to have a talk with Carandial.." Kenny immediately answered, determined anger seeping through his words. "It's about time I did something I _should_ have done a _long_ time ago.."

Kenny said nothing more, as he stormed to his truck, ignited the engine, and began to drive away. Whatever Kenny was up to, it was pretty obvious that _nothing_ was going to change his mind, _nor_ stop him..

Jack looked at Stan. "I'll be back in a few days at most." He said simply, before looking at Kylie. "I promise, sweetheart." He said much more softly, before he turned and walked off.

"Ready the ships." He said roughly, contacting Carandial.

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Carandial looked over the assembling fleet. Hundreds of ships, led by several top of the line dreadnoughts. A fleet equalling those he led in Cyrannus.

"Sir, Kenny wants to see you." A soldier reported.

He turned, and indeed, the teen was approaching. He nodded curtly in greeting. "I assume you're here because of what happened with Kyle?"

Kenny cringed at that, but didn't directly answer his question. His expression was all Carandial needed to confirm his suspicion.

"You _need_ to let me back in the military.." Kenny said in a firm, yet pleading voice. "That _motherfucker_ took Kyle from us! Took those sweet little _children_ from us.. They _didn't_ deserve that shit!" He sighed once more, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

His voice was much softer now, as he finished,

"Please, Carandial.. For old times' sake.. I need to fight for our military once again. I will _avenge_ their loss! _All_ of their losses.. Their departure will _not_ have been in vain!"

Carandial looked at him for a moment. "Jack told me you might say that."

He turned. "That ship up there our newest Dreadnought," he motioned to a massive dreadnought. "She's your's. You will lead us in this coming battle, _Admiral_."

Kenny's eyes widened.

"A- _Admira_ -" Kenny's voice held that of pure shock! However, he cut himself off so as to calm down once again. "Thanks, man.. I mean, Carandial. I already know the drill!" Kenny grinned slightly. "Except well.. I can probably do much _more_ , now."

Carandial nodded.

"I trust you will."

He then added. "Three junior Admirals will be placed under your command. They will assist you in any way possible."

"The ship, and the fleet, is your's to name, Kenny."

Kenny looked up in the sky, before solemnly saying,

"The Mysterion Fleet.. They better be ready to come aboard the S.S. Kyle.. Because _that's_ what it's going to be.."

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Kenny walked onto the bridge, where he was greeted by the three officers Carandial told him would be there. They saluted. "Admiral," a Libertus with dark blue scales and red eyes(he almost looked like a dinosaur-version of Thrawn), said.

"The fleet is awaiting your orders. Zillum's base has been located. We can attack it on your order."

"How do you you guys usually fight?" Kenny abruptly asked. "What is your usual strategy in a battle such as this?"

"This is Zillum's base." The same Libertus began, pulling up a hologram. "I suggest you have one of the three Battlegroups of this fleet arrive first, and lure them in, before the _Kyle_ arrives with the other two at their weak point."

Kenny nodded, before replying,

"Tell you what.." Kenny began. "What if I told you we _won't_ be doing that?"

The three of them widened their eyes in shock, looking among each other.

"No, instead, we're going to _bum rush_ them! All out _aggression_! Sounds stupid, right? _Wrong_.. _Think_ about it! Would they _ever_ see it coming?.."

One of the officers, to his surprise, grinned. "I have to agree on that. Zillum thrives on strategy, but sometimes a full force assault can be the best course of action."

"I request a position at the center of the fleet, to assist the _Kyle_ in leading the charge. I have longed for the opportunity to put Zillum in his place."

"Permission _granted_!.." Kenny smirked. He patted him on the back. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What do you require?"

" _Fuck_ shit up!"

"Oh trust me, we will." The officer replied.

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Mysterion Fleet dropped out of hyperspace _directly_ over Titan, catching Zillum's fleet by surprise.

Kenny looked out from the viewport, and saw that the fleet was a powerful one, led by Zillum's personal flagship, the _Merciless_.

"Okay, guys.. Unleash _everything_ on their asses! _Don't_ hold up! Show them what you're made of!" Kenny commanded.

"Copy that." Thonaloc, the officer who had embraced his earlier plan, said, and immediately, his ship began a massive frontal assault on the nearest Dominion ships, gutting an enemy destroyer in seconds.

"Ohh, that was badass!" Kenny laughed in amusement. He immediately got serious once again, though. "Okay, guys! _Nice_! Keep going! Don't let them recover!"

The fleet began to push forward in a full on assault, gunning down every enemy ship that tried to approach them. Most of them were completely unprepared, with their shields down, and were rapidly reduced to scrap metal by the ferocious Imperial assault.

"Admiral McCormick?" Rear Admiral Helo Roslia asked. "Requesting permission to engage Zillum's flagship?"

"You don't have to ask _me_ twice, Rear Admiral!" Kenny said. "Blast his scaly ass into oblivion!" He paused for a bit. "Uh.. no offense." He nervously chuckled.

"None taken." Roslia responded with a slight chuckle. "You heard the Admiral, blast that ship to pieces!"

As Roslia's battlegroup advanced on the _Merciless_ , Thonaloc's and the _Kyle's_ moved against the rest of the fleet, while Tector Decimius' battlegroup effortlessly swatted down enemy ships that attempted to interdict their assault.

For all his talk about strategy earlier, Decimius seemed to be an _expert_ at improvising. That was proven true when an enemy battleship three times bigger than his flagship was destroyed by concentrated, well armed fire.

Kenny couldn't help put grin at the sight of how the battle was going. _Just_ as he predicted, Zillum's fleet hadn't seen the attack coming! They looked like panicking chickens with their heads cut off!

Kenny had _known_ they would react this way, and that no strategy would be the _best_ strategy at this current point in time.. He had previous _experience_ in the military, and he _knew_ how battles such as these operated! He just never really had much authority to command battles until now.

However, the _Merciless_ remained the biggest threat, and was giving Roslia's fleet a tough time. It's escorts were trying to rally beside it to reform, but most were being picked off by the rampaging battlegroups of Thonaloc and Decimius.

"Okay, guys! Here's what you're gonna do now.." Kenny began, to where everyone could now hear him. "You're gonna pick these bastards apart, and _isolate_ that giant ass ship! Everyone understand? _Isolate_ it.. Then you can all attack it at once! It won't stand a _chance_.."

"Understood." Decimius responded. His battlegroup turned and began a direct assault against a gap that still existed. Within minutes, it had breached the enemy defenses, and the enemy ships on the right flank were _scattering_ , fleeing in an attempt to escape with their lives.

The left flank was crumbling from Roslia's assault, while Thonaloc formed his battlegroup up alongside the _Kyle_. "What are your orders, Admiral?"

" _Destroy_ it!" Kenny ordered.

With that single order, the _Kyle_ began a _massive_ barrage of the _Merciless_ , which was joined by Thonaloc's Battlegroup, with his own flagship, the _Valor_ , gallantly charging forward, destroying the bridge of the _Merciless_ , and then, the massive Dreadnought began to careen towards the moon below.

It had lost control.

"That's it!" Kenny gleefully exclaimed. "We _did_ it! It's going down!"

As the _Merciless_ impacted against the planet, it caused a massive explosion that outshined the sun. Meanwhile, Decimius and Roslia wiped out the last remnants of Zillum's fleet, until finally, the guns fell silent.

In one fell swoop, the Empire had sundered Zillum's Dominion, and with the destruction of his flagship, had seemingly even killed Zillum himself. As Titan's orbit brought it into the view of the sun, the realization dawned on the Empire. The Dominion was defeated.

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Kylie looked down, still trying to process what had happened. "Stan?" She asked.

"What is it, Kylie?.." Stan softly responded.

He knew how _scared_ and _devastated_ she must have been, so he tried his best to keep her as comfortable as possible. Hell, even _he_ was having some saddened feelings..

He just couldn't believe they were _gone_..

"Why did this happen? Why did he take my mom and my brother and sister? Why did Cartman start this war? Why does Zillum want to kill us so much? Why is all this happening?"

Stan looked down at her with absolute pity. She looked like she was about to break down. She seemed so _lost_ and so vulnerable..

"I don't know.." Stan said. "I just don't know, Kylie.. They're pure _evil_. They only want to see the _worst_ in the world.. They only want to see the innocent suffer.. Whether there's a reason for why they're doing this or not, they're _bad_ people.. They're people that your Dad, Batman, the Avengers, and _every_ soldier in our military fight against every day.. That's why we need the _good_ to outweigh the evil, so stuff like this never ever _happens_.."

Kylie nodded a bit, silent.

At that moment, the door opened, and Jack and Caesarius walked in. "Thank you, Stan." Jack said softly.

Kylie got up, and hugged Jack, who by this point seemed more depressed than angry.

"We found nothing." Caesarius said to Stan. "We searched everywhere we could. Both for Drew and Jack's families."

Stan looked down, glumly saying,

"I just don't _understand_.." He then looked up at everyone. "Where could they have _gone_!? Why do such horrible things happen to such _good_ people?.. I haven't seen Drew in _days_ , either! Have _you_? I know he's still _around_ , but-"

At that moment, the door opened, and Drew stormed inside, as if on cue. He looked absolutely _furious_!

Jack stood up. "Drew? What is it?"

Drew finally held something in the air in response. It was a VHS tape. And on the cover, there were only three words, along with a smiley face. It appeared to have been written in green crayon.

The cover read, _"To Papa Bear :)"_

Drew flipped the tape over, and on the back of it? A joker card was taped to it.. It was The Joker's _trademark_! Drew aggressively ripped the card off and threw it to the floor.

"I knew I'd find everyone here.." Drew said, venom lacing his words. Bot towards them, but towards The Joker. "I haven't watched it yet, but I figure I'd show it to _everyone_ at one time.."

And by everyone, he meant _everyone_ who had been searching.. As if on cue, Raiden teleported into the room, with Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade holding their hands on him so that they could be transported here as well.

"I got your message.." Raiden said to Drew. "I came straight away in light of this news.."

"What have you found?" Liu Kang asked him.

Drew once again held up the video tape.

"A VHS tape?" Johnny Cage questioned. "Ha.. This guy must not realize we're not in the 90's anymo-"

"Silence, Cage!" Raiden warned. Johnny Cage immediately ceased talking, having realized what he said was inappropriate, considering the circumstances.

"Hey, look.." Johnny spoke to Drew. "I'm sor-"

"We don't have time for that now.." Drew seriously said, as if in a rush. "Where's Wendy?"

"I came as soon as I heard."

Wendy arrived soon after. "Where's Bebe? Any luck?" She asked frantically.

Instead of directly answering her question, Drew decided to just let her see for herself.

"Stan," Drew began, handing him the tape. "put this in the VCR.. We're gonna see what this _fucker_ decided to send me!"

Stan took the tape and didn't waste _any_ time.. He popped it in the VCR, and after a few seconds of static, the tape began to play..

It started off with a black screen, until it was revealed that Joker had been covering the lense. He chuckled in alight excitement, as he now knew the camera was rolling.

"Hello, _Emperor_ Drew.. Or y'know, whoever the hell else he decides to show this message to. Haha!"

Drew narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. The Joker was _really_ pissing him off now.

"So.. your poor family is _gone_! Oh _no_! So _sad_!" The Joker sarcastically said in an overdramatic fashion, mock crying. "I _wonder_ where they could have _gone_!"

The Joker then perked up.

"Oh _that's_ right! One of them is right _here_.."

He then stepped to the side, revealing someone lying on solid concrete in _absolute_ pain.. The person was in a puddle of her own blood.. The person's skin was _pale_. As if from _blood_ loss..

But this wasn't just _any_ person! It was someone Drew knew _all_ too well..

"Bebe!" Drew exclaimed, getting closer to the TV screen.

Jack clenched his fist. He was already formulating a plan for this. He _knew_ what it was like to lose someone you love, and he would be _damned_ if he let Drew go through that!

Kylie squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, as Jack pulled her close. Traumatic memories of her own experiences with the Joker were returning. She was _terrified_ by this.

The Joker walked over to a groaning Bebe, who looked absolutely _horrible_! There were obvious bruises all over her face, as well as cuts and even _bite_ marks..

"That _MOTHERFUCKER_!" Drew yelled. "I'll kill him!"

The Joker grabbed her by the arm and roughly _yanked_ her up to where she was barely standing, almost tearing an arm out of socket.

"Say _hello_ to your sweetheart.. Come _on_ , don't be _shy_!" The Joker softy said to Bebe, forcing her to try and speak.

However, she simply _couldn't_.. She was too _weak_ to even say anything.

"Come on, _say_ something!" The Joker exclaimed, sending a backhand into her face, knocking her to the ground once again. Joker yanked her back up and once again demanded, "Now.. say _hello_! Say _something_! Now!"

Bebe's eyes were filled with tears. She had clearly been tortured for the past couple _weeks_! She just wanted to go _home_..

Knowing this was probably the _last_ chance she would have to speak directly to Drew, she could only speak in whispers, as her voice was incredibly weak at this point,

"Dr- Drew…" Bebe softly began. "I l- love you-"

 _BAM!_

She was knocked down when she was struck in the _head_ by a metal object! But not just _any_ metal object.. It was a _crowbar_!

"Boooring!" The Joker said. "You're boring me with all this sappy shit! I'll just get straight to the point.."

He then faced the camera once more with a wide grin, as if nothing had happened.

"So here's the deal, Drew.. Or _Jack_.. Or that British guy, or Bats, or _whoever_ the hell is watching! Hopefully, Bats.. He's the most _fun_.." The Joker looked down momentarily at Bebe, who was now coughing up blood, before looking back up. "But _anyways_ , I'm sure you're wondering where the _other_ two are.. The brats.. Well, they're _safe_!.. I _think_.."

The Joker then burst out into maniacal laughter, causing Drew to nearly have an _aneurysm_! His boiling point was _way_ over by now!

"The brats are at two _different_ locations.. Your beloved _cutie_ right here, is at a _third_ location!" The Joker excitedly said as he pinched one of Bebe's cheeks. "There's a _bomb_ that will detonate in _24_ hours time at _each_ of the three locations.. Find them in time, and they get to live! Once those 24 hours are up?.. BOOM!" The Joker yelled, causing Bebe to flinch. "HAHAHA!"

Bebe began to noticeably cry on the tape. She looked absolutely _scarred_ by this _whole_ thing! She just wanted to be with her family again. She just wanted to be back home in South Park!

"Aw.. Don't _cry_!" The Joker sarcastically said, mocking a comforting voice. "Here.. Let me knock those tears off your face."

 _BAM!_

The Joker once again hit Bebe _hard_ in the side of the head with his crowbar. This left a _giant_ bump, and drew blood.

 _BAM! BAM! BANG!_

Over and _over_ again, The Joker kept hitting her in the head. He clearly wanted to put her in as _much_ pain as he possibly could! And _also_ to stir up emotions from those who viewed the tape as well. He wanted the Empire's government to literally fall into _shambles_! And the only way to do that?

Make things _personal_..

Finally, The Joker finally relented, tossing the crowbar to the concrete floor, and facing the camera one final time.

"You have 24 hours! I sure hope the tape _reaches_ you in time. HAHAHAHA!"

With that, the footage went to static.. The tape was now over.. It ejected itself from the VCR, as everyone in the room stood dead _silent_..

"We need a plan. Caesarius, Raiden, find Adia. Liu Kang, we'll find Kenzi. Drew, you find Bebe." Jack said firmly.

"No.." Drew began firmly. "We're gonna do things _right_. Raiden and Liu Kang will work best _together_! They have better chemistry. They will search for Adia. You and Caesarius will look for Kenzi. I have Bebe.. We need to move _now_! Who knows _how_ much time is left on those bombs!?"

Jack nodded, and he and Caesarius immediately left to find Kenzi. All Jack could think about was Amelia and Simba. He _refused_ to let Drew lose his family tonight.

"Fear not, Drew.. We will find your daughter. And if need be, the rest of your family." Liu Kang promised.

The other Earthrealm warriors gave a nod of agreement. They all looked motivated to save these innocent people.. And for that, Drew couldn't help but give them a silent look of gratitude.

He didn't even need to say a word. They understood it completely. Without another word, they held onto Raiden, and they teleported out of view, beginning their rapid search.

Drew slammed the door open and rushed into his car. As he ignited the engine, a look of determined anger became evident in his expression. He began to speed off towards his house where all of his gadgets and equipment was..

If there was _one_ man best suited for this job, and if there was _one_ person that The Joker would expose himself to with open, psychotic arms..

It was Batman..

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Jack walked down the stairs, trying to clear his head. He was going to find Kenzi, but…

"You alright?" Caesarius asked Jack.

Jack sighed. "Just…thinking about what Drew said..."

Caesarius sighed. "We need to focus. A little girl is in danger."

Jack looked at Caesarius. "Don't remind me."

Caesarius took a deep breath. "We'll find your family as we-"

"No." Jack said. "She's gone. They're gone."

He narrowed his eyes, and let out an anguished sob.

"Kyle, I'm sorry! I'm so fucking sorry!"

Caesarius put a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, it's alright-"

"No! It's _not_!" Jack said tearfully. "My wife is _gone_. My children are _gone_. And Drew's going to have to go through the same. Damn. Thing!"

In a fit of rage and grief, Jack sent a force push into a nearby abandoned building, so strong that it _collapsed_.

Caesarius grabbed Jack. "Jack, _get it together!_ " He said firmly.

"We _have_ to find her. This isn't going to help her. You _need_ to stay strong."

Jack looked down, before nodding. "For her, and Kyle's, and Amelia and Simba's sakes."

The broken Emperor looked up, before his eyes narrowed to determination.

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The pair kept walking, before the two all of a sudden stopped. It was silent. Almost _too_ silent. Like they were being watched..

"Thought I might find you here.." Batman began in his grim, deep voice. This caused Jack and Caesarius to jump slightly in surprise, looking over to see Batman's shadowy figure standing in the entrance of a nearby alley.

However, Batman looked rather.. _peeved_.. More so than usual.

Jack cocked a brow. "Here to join the search? About damn time."

Batman did not answer his question, instead standing there with a grimace for a couple of seconds. After that, he replied simply, yet firmly,

"What on back earth _happened_ back there? Why did you destroy that building? Was there any particular _reason_?.." He began to question.

"I don't owe you an explanation." Jack shot back, _not_ in the mood.

"No.." Batman began. "But you owe every _citizen_ in this town an explanation! Each one could have _potentially_ been inside.. One of The Joker's _hostages_ could have been inside.. And _what_ would have happened?.."

"Nothing." Jack said simply. "There was no-one in there. I sensed it."

"Are you _sure_ about that?.." Batman pried some more, stepping closer. "Seems to me like you acted out of _anger_.. Out of _emotion_.. Not much room for one hundred percent logical decision-making, was there?"

Jack looked at him for a moment. "Yes, I did. Because you know what?!" He snarled. "I've lost too much to care. I could sense with the force, something _you_ don't have, that there was no-one in there. And you know what? I don't _owe_ you an explanation because you're _not_ in charge here. You're not part of our law system. You are a vigilante. One who takes matters into his _own_ hands, rather than letting the law take its course. So get off your high fucking horse!"

Batman's expression remained the same. He simply absorbed every single word thrown at him.

"For a leader of the entire world," Batman began once more. "you sure are mentally unfit.. At least for right now. What is that anger _like_ , Jack? Do you feel a sense of power? Do you feel a sense of _pride_ , knowing so many people's' lives rest in your hands?.. Well, the truth is.. you're _not_ in charge here.. I will protect each and every one _myself_ if need be.. Yes, you have lost a lot, and my condolences are with you.. But your addled mind will _not_ be in charge of this search any longer.."

There was an eerie silence, before Batman concluded,

" _I_ will search for Kenzi.. You will _not_ stand in my way.."

"You want to know what my anger is like, _Drew_?" Jack said coldly. "It's one of pain. _Because_ everyone's lives are in my hands. And because of what _my_ family went through because I _couldn't_ save them!"

Batman stood there in silence for a bit, looking down slightly. So Jack had actually found out his identity.. It was to be expected, really.. He knew him well, and besides that, he wasn't as careful as he should have been about keeping his identity a secret..

Batman took off his mask, exposing Drew's face. It held that of anger, his sky blue eyes emitting a burning heat, as if his anger was seeping out of him. After the two stared at each other, Drew replied briefly and dead serious,

"And now it's _my_ turn.. I will find Kenzi.. I've already traced her coordinates down to a nearby tech facility.. Owned by the same company who made the camera The Joker used while filming his _sick_ video!" Drew breathed heavy for a bit, before declaring, "Stay out of my way.. _Anderson_.."

Jack looked at him. "I don't take orders from you." He said, before walking forward. "Lee, get some soldiers to these coordinates." He said into his communicator. "Get Kenzi out of there."

Batman put his mask back on, before taking out his grapnel gun, preparing to glide away. Before he did so, he turned to Jack and spoke one final time,

"I wish you a speedy recovery.. I know how hard it must be. But you have gone over the deep end. I suggest getting some help, if possible.."

He then turned to Caesarius now.

"Admiral.." Batman spoke as a show of respect, before he fired his grapnel into a nearby building, gliding into the sky, and towards Kenzi's now discovered location.. He hoped to get there before the military did.

Or so Jack _thought_..

As Jack watched him go, he clenched his fist.

' _If you_ ever _say something like that again, I'm going to end you!'_

"Caesarius?" He said. "Tell everyone to meet me at the park in an hour. Including Drew."

With that, he stalked off. "Where are you going?" Caesarius asked.

"To be with my daughter." Jack snapped.

"This is Raiden to all searching parties.." Raiden interrupted, his voice sounding over the communicator. They had set it up to where _everyone_ could talk with one another, if something had come up.

"Go ahead." Caesarius said, watching a broken Jack go.

"Adia has been found, and is _safe_.." Raiden gave the good news. "A rather.. _sick_ and _strange_ individual stood guard.. He claimed his name was 'Umberto'.."

Caesarius narrowed his eyes. "I'll be right there." He said. He pulled out his pistol, and readied it.

He was going to kill that lunatic.

"There is no need.." Raiden said, as if _knowing_ what Caesarius was planning on doing. "He has been neutralized.. It took but mere _seconds_.. Liu Kang sent a punch of flame through his chest. The inside of his chest is now a void of what once was.."

He said this as Liu Kang wiped blood and pieces of heart off his hand, as Johnny Cage began to make disgusted faces, Sonya Blade and Kung Lao simply shaking their head, unamused.

Umberto indeed laid on the ground, completely _dead_.. He laid in a pool of his own blood, a still sizzling, burning hole now directly in his chest.

Adia was crying her eyes out, constantly questioning _where_ her Dad was. Where her _sister_ was.. Her _Mom_.. Why Nzuri had to die the way she did.. She cried directly onto Raiden's leg, the Earthrealm warriors helping console her the best they could.. It was up to _them_ to keep her happy, and to aid her recovery. For _now_ , at least..

Liu Kang and Kung Lao _especially_ felt pity towards her.. She just looked so _sad_ , and so _lost_..

"Hey.." Liu Kang softly began, putting a gentle hand on her back. This caused her to look up, tears still streaming down her face. "I know this is hard.. All of this.. No child ever deserves to experience evils such as this.."

"Th- Thanks.." Adia whispered through tears, still not completely out of that state.

"If you _ever_ need someone to talk to, or if you _ever_ need help.. You can _always_ go to the Wu Shi Academy. Our fellow monks would be _happy_ to help you in your time of need.."

Adia began to perk up a bit now, her tears drying only _slightly_..

"Th- They _would_?.." Adia questioned.

Liu Kang nodded with a smile.

"Of course.." Liu Kang then motioned to himself, as well as everyone else in the room. " _All_ of us are here to listen.. To help you _out_.."

He looked to Kung Lao, as if debating on whether he should say what he wanted to say. Kung Lao knew _exactly_ what it was, and nodded, speaking for Liu Kang,

"You could even take classes _at_ the Wu Shi Academy.. Me and Liu Kang could train you in the art of Kombat.. You could be a _true_ Shaolin warrior, if you ever decided to go down that path. It may give you an _extra_ sense of security.."

Adia beamed at that, getting _really_ excited about the idea _straight_ away.

"Wow! Y- You _mean_ it!?"

Liu Kang and Kung Lao nodded with smiles. Even Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade couldn't help but smile at the cub's newfound sense of happiness and hope.

"Oh _wow_ , I-" Adia began in excitement, before she paused. She then sighed. "-I.. I wish I could tell my Mom and _Dad_ about this.. I bet they'd be happy.."

The Earthrealmers frowned in pity at that. They could all tell _just_ how worried she was about her family..

Sensing this, and wanting to get her away from this horrific setting, Liu Kang bent down and softly spoke,

"Come on.. Let's get you back home.."

Adia seemed _very_ in favor of that idea, and with that, Raiden nodded and teleported them all out of there, leaving the area to be discovered and searched by the military..

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Jack kept walking for a bit, before he stopped. He could sense something. He froze, and activated his lightsaber. Then, a group of white armored soldiers stepped into view, followed by…

Jack's eyes widened. Darth Vader walked into view.

"Send the payment to Drew. His information has been _most_ useful."

Jack froze.

Vader turned to the others. "And thank you for your aid. You each have a place in the Galactic Empire. And _you_ , Deathstroke, shall be compensated with more wealth than anyone on this planet."

"That's more _like_ it.." Deathstroke commented, holding a sword in hand.

At that, Zillum, Darth Maul, Deathstroke and Grievous joined Vader.

"You shall join your family very shortly." Zillum said coldly to Jack.

The troopers began to circle Jack, raising their rifles. "Just like your daughter..."

Jack narrowed his eyes, and raised his lightsaber. "If you _touch_ her-"

"Attack." Vader ordered.

Darth Maul leapt forward, locking blades with Jack.

The stormtroopers raised their rifles, while Vader and Grievous activated their lightsabers, and Deathstroke readied his sword.

At that moment, there was the sound of two more lightsabers activating, and at that moment, Obi-Wan and Anakin joined Jack.

Anakin and Vader locked eyes, and the young Jedi _lunged_ at Vader, attacking with ferocity. While the two versions of the same man fought each other, Obi-Wan engaged Maul, while Jack engaged Grievous.

Deathstroke raised his pistol, aiming for Jack, before Mace Windu joined the fight, cutting down the Stormtroopers and clashing with Deathstroke.

The fight was joined. It was a clash of master swordsmen. The night was illuminated by red, blue and purple blades clashing against each other, and metal clashing against plasma.

Than, there was a pained yell. Jack froze. Anakin was on the ground, at Vader's feet. "You...are a _monster_." Anakin said defiantly. His legs and arms had been cut off when he tried to jump over Vader.

"You are a child, I am _well_ accustomed to killing children." Vader replied.

A flash of red light, and Anakin fell silent.

"No!" Obi-Wan yelled, rushing at Vader, but forgetting about Maul. Grinning the Sith Lord threw his lightsaber like a spear, impaling Obi-Wan.

Mace Windu fell soon after, a gunshot wound in his head. He had forgotten about Deathstroke's pistols.

Vader turned to Jack. "So dies the _last_ Jedi."

In that moment, Jack looked at them. Yet more of his friends had died. Just like Kyle.

 _All because of_ him _._

Jack's eyes burned yellow, and he let out an animalistic scream that could be heard for miles.

He sent a tidal wave of a force push at his enemies, with enough force that it _flattened_ a forest, before he stalked off.

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"Kenny.." Batman spoke over a communicator, looking down at the now brutally _beaten_ and unconscious Clyde.. He also had to speak while holding Kenzi in his arms. She was crying at the _top_ of her lungs, as she was clearly _really_ scared!

Batman took off his mask, waiting for Kenny to respond, looking into Kenzi's eyes. Kenzi immediately calmed down a bit upon recognizing Drew's familiar face. It was her _Dad_!

Drew smiled down at Kenzi, truly _relieved_ that she was okay. She had a few red marks and bruises on her face, which was something that Drew hit Clyde _twice_ as hard for!

But all that mattered was that she was _safe_ now.. He had beaten Clyde _senseless_ and even stealthily put a few of his armed henchman into unconsciousness before any of them knew he was even _here_..

"I thought I might find you here..." A familiar voice said monotonely.

Drew didn't even need to turn around to know who this was.. His smile faded, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He watched as Jack entered the room, as he continued to rock Kenzi to keep her comfortable.

"Where are your troops? Did they not make it in time?" Drew questioned.

When he turned, he saw Jack looking at him with utter _rage_. He looked absolutely _murderous_.

This in turn forced Drew to attain a defensive position. Not just for him, but for _Kenzi_ especially.

Jack took a step forward, before throwing a disk to the ground. Then, a hologram appeared, showing Zillum, Deathstroke, Maul, Grievous and Vader.

"Send the payment to Drew, his information has been most effective." Vader said.

By the time the hologram ended, he saw Jack's expression harden, but he didn't attack yet.

"What is this?" Drew demanded.

"Proof." Jack snarled. "Proof that you're a _traitor_."

He then pressed a button, and another video appeared. It showed Stormtroopers with…

Jack's family, while Drew was accepting what looked like money from Vader. "Do not fear, this world will be free from the false Empire _very_ soon." Vader said, to which the holographic Drew responded,

"Good..." Was all Drew said. He seemed hesitant, but accepted it anyway.

"If you back out of this deal, then it will be your family who will be killed." Vader informed him.

The hologram ended.

Drew looked on at the hologram in shock, and then up at Jack. His expression contained that of absolute _hurt_ and even slight _betrayal_.

"You.. You can't _possibly_ -" Drew began, but was cut off.

"Why shouldn't I?" Jack said tersely. "I lost three friends to them. I lost my family at the same time this hologram said they disappeared..."

"And you _believe_ them!?" Drew exclaimed. "They are pure _evil_! It is their _job_ to deceive! Think _logically_ , Jack! What _purpose_ would I have for doing any of that? I _loved_ your family! I would have done _nothing_ to put them in harm's way!"

He then continued,

"And why would I even _need_ money? I'm _already_ well off from those two UFC fights! I _know_ what evil, money causes.. Why would I want to _follow_ such a dark path? Keep in mind that there are _Replicators_ in this world, Jack.. You have _literally_ cloned living beings before! Who's to say they couldn't have done the same with me?.."

"Simple. Ever since we got the Replicator, you had it out for me. You want the Empire gone, but I don't think you'd put my family in danger."

"Exactly.. So there's the fallacy in this _whole_ argument! Why _would_ I put your family in danger? What wrong have they _ever_ done me? It makes _no_ sense!"

"It does. I heard Vader say that if you didn't help, he'd kill your family." Jack looked Drew dead in the eye. "I _know_ , as much as you'd hate it, you'd sacrifice my family it to protect your's."

Drew matched Jack's stare, scowling slightly.

"And thus ends one of the most _intellectually_ sound plans ever conceived by a being of pure evil.. They want to turn us _against_ each other, which already seems to be working.. Then from there, when you're too mentally unstable and weak to do anything, your people will _revolt_.. People will get _pissed_. And from there, that alliance and their forces will _eat_ you all alive! They will take you over inside and _out_! Do _not_ fall for it, Jack! I _know_ you're smarter than this.."

Jack looked at him for a moment, before closing his eyes. He clenched his fist, before unholstering his lightsaber and…

He tossed it to Drew's feet. "I..."

He opened his eyes, and they had returned to the same blue they were.

"I won't let them do this..."

He looked at Drew tearfully. "You're right. I am letting them win. I...trust you. And I'm sorry." He said that sincerely, and Drew detected more vulnerability in his voice than he had ever heard from Jack. This wasn't a man who knew what he was doing, but a broken, remorseful man who had lost everything, and had come so close to the darkness that was trying to take him.

Drew looked at Jack, his expression softening as well. Drew then looked down at his daughter, seeing innocent, pure _happiness_ on her face. She didn't _know_ how bad everything was..

She was so _scared_ when Drew first arrived, but upon seeing her Dad again.. Everything all of a sudden was okay.. Her fear _faded_ , and she felt _safe_..

Drew closed his eyes and held his head down. He had been internally mulling over what he had in mind ever since his family's kidnapping.. He wasn't going to _stop_ searching until he knew their fate, but even still, he had _another_ aspiration..

It was an offer he _once_ thought crazy, but upon thinking of it _now_ , and how _terrible_ things have gotten, he had _really_ been considering it..

That's why he now had it decided: if anything ever happened to Bebe, God forbid, he would go down this path.. The world was becoming _too_ evil! Something _had_ to be done!

And as much as he cared for Jack, Drew _still_ opposed the Empire and their methods.. He felt that something _new_ was needed, if they ever hoped to spare the Earth from all these wicked affairs.

Drew took a deep breath, opening his eyes, and looking back down at Kenzi again.

"Jack?.." Drew softly asked.

"Yes?" Jack asked.

"Could you.. _please_ take Kenzi back to your house?" Drew asked of him, holding Kenzi out to him. "I still need to find Bebe, and I _know_ where she is, but I gotta _hurry_.."

Jack nodded. "Of course."

Jack took Kenzi from Drew, which caused her to look around in slight confusion.

"Don't worry, baby.." Drew softly spoke to her. "Mommy and Daddy will be back soon, okay?.."

Drew took a deep breath. He knew _deep_ down, if the _worst_ happened, that he wouldn't be able to _keep_ that promise..

That would eat him _alive_ inside! He needed to move _now_!

At least now, Drew had a plan.. If he saved Bebe, they would go home as a family, and he would _quit_ this stupid Batman bullshit!

If he _didn't_ …

Kenzi would remain with Jack, and he would _accept_ Ra's Al Ghul's offer.. At least there, she would be _safe_.. At least then, if it ever came to that, maybe having another child would at least _partially_ fill the empty void in Jack's heart.. Maybe that would help him..

With that, Drew said nothing more, and upon putting his mask back on, he used his grapnel to exit the building..

He needed to move _now_! 

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 _Warehouse 17-B_

That location remained in Batman's head. That was the _final_ location! That was where _Bebe_ was..

Batman had traced the video footage sent to him, and it _all_ referred back to this particular warehouse in South Park's shipyard..

Batman took multiple deep breaths with every step. He vaulted from rooftop to rooftop, in a mad _sprint_!

The time was coming down to the wire..

Hope was _immediately_ restored in Batman when he saw the Warehouse _in_ his sights! It was out in the distance quite a ways, but he was _almost_ there!

Batman hopped the fence of barbed wire, and landed in the shipyard. Straight in front of him, way out in the distance, the warehouse stood before him.

It was now or _never_!

Just as Batman began to run forward at full speed, an orange glowing light immediately took over his vision, momentarily blinding him.

This got a gasp out of Batman, but before he even knew what is was…

 _BOOM!_

The warehouse..

 _Exploded_!

Batman was knocked back by the blast, and sent to the ground. The warehouse burst into flames, and debris was shot _many_ feet into the air! It was completely _destroyed_..

"No.." Batman muttered with a slight gasp, standing back to his feet. He now took a _good_ look at the now decimated building, before his eyes widened.

" _NO_!" Batman yelled at the top of his lungs, running full speed towards the rubble. Upon making it there, he _immediately_ switched his Detective Vision on, looking for _any_ source of body heat whatsoever! To find _any_ survivor!

Batman quickly found the body heat, and saw the skeleton like an x-ray. He _quickly_ pulled large chunks of wood and concrete off of the body, before it was _finally_ exposed..

"B- Bebe.." Batman said in a blank, defeated tone.

What laid before him was a.. _gruesome_ sight!

Her face had been _battered_ , most likely from that crowbar of Joker's. She looked just about _unrecognizable_!

Looking with his Detective Vision, he saw that _multiple_ bone fractures were evident.. She had a punctured _lung_ , as well, which only added _on_ to the _many_ horrible and _disgusting_ injuries that she contained.

Batman breathed heavily as he rushed down to her side, feeling for _any_ sort of a pulse. He checked her chest, her neck, and even her _hand_.

But there was _none_..

"N- NO! Bebe, _hold_ on! Babe, _stay_ with me!" Batman shouted, turning on his shock gloves.

He was _determined_ to save her life! She was _not_ about to die!

Batman sent a shock through her chest, before performing CPR on her, in a _desperate_ attempt at resuscitating her. But no pulse..

He tried yet _again_ , this time starting to _really_ sweat!

Still nothing..

This continued on for a good _ten_ minutes or so before finally, Batman switched the shock gloves' power off..

He was completely silent, minus one sniffle. The weather outside seemed to go with the mood, as it started to softly rain.

Batman took his mask off once again, tossing it to the ground. He picked Bebe's lifeless body up and laid her in his lap, as he sat there on the cold, hard ground..

Drew simply looked down at her, her skin now a pale white. It was a true _indicator_ that she was now gone.. There was no hope _left_..

 _Bebe was dead_ …

Drew's eyes began to water, and his lips began to quiver. He held her withered hand in his, and stared down at her face. He moved her hair out of her face, as it was in the way.

"I- I am _so_ sorry.. My love.." Drew apologized through tears, which streamed down his face now, and onto her. He felt absolutely _responsible_ for _all_ of this!

This was _his_ fault!

He wasn't _fast_ enough!

If he had arrived sooner, then she would still be _alive_!

The rain now began to _pour_ , soaking Drew and Bebe _both_.. But Drew didn't care about that.

This was his _only_ chance of saying goodbye..

"I.. I _love_ you, Bebe.." Drew softly cried. He reached into his pocket, pulling out what _would_ have been his wedding ring. "I- I know we never got to do this, but.. I want you to have it.."

He slipped it on her finger, and kissed her hand softly. He closed his eyes, deep in thought.

His chest was _intensely_ burning from all the emotional pain!

Drew finally looked back down to Bebe, before saying,

"Forgive me.. I'll- I'll see you again one day. Just please.. _w- wait_ for me…"

Drew gave Bebe one final, long hug, as thunder and lightning now began to make themselves known.

The wind began to blow at high speeds, the moon slightly shimmering in the sky through the clouds of what was indeed a terrible storm..

But the question that still remained was, was the moon's light strong enough to power through the storm?...

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 **A/N: Make sure to stay tuned for the sequel: New Kids Part II**

 **Dinolion92: So that was the end of this installment. The sequel will follow shortly. We hope you enjoyed this story. Things are going to get serious from this point on.**

 **LionKingIsAwesome: Hope y'all enjoyed this! It's been fun. The sequel should be even better! There are** _ **many**_ **ideas we have in store, and the adventure should pick up** _ **right**_ **where it left off, with just as much intensity. With that, we'll see ya guys then!**

 **Liam Holman: Thank you all for reading this installment. It's been enjoyable to write this entry and it has been a pleasure to write with these two great writers and fine individuals. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you'll return for the next installment, where it is going to be more dramatic than it already has been. I hope you'll enjoy reading that and subsequent stories. Thank you.**


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